LAHORE: The Punjab government claims to have cracked the entire network of terrorists involved in the Johar Town bomb blast near the residence of Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and asserts that concrete evidence has been collected about the involvement of ‘enemy’ country’s intelligence agency.

A powerful bomb [planted in a car] blast had killed three and injured 22 people, including two policemen, besides damaging private properties.

The Punjab government has shared the information about the “hostile intelligence agencies” to the Pakistan’s intelligence agencies and the foreign office to move ahead in the case.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani on Monday told a news conference at CM’s secretariat that the police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) investigated the case on scientific lines that primarily aimed at high-value target and apprehended 10 terrorists of an international network.

‘Enemy’ country’s agency found involved in Johar Town blast; JIT formed to quiz 10 Pakistanis

“The police and CTD teams raided across the country and apprehended all involved in the planning and execution of the blast within four days,” stated the chief minister.

Without naming Indian agency RAW, Buzdar said the ‘enemy’ country’s intelligence agency was directly involved in funding the terrorists’ network in Pakistan.

IG Inam Ghani said the “hostile agencies” were continuously working against the country and added that the car bomb blast had taken place at a time when the FATF was discussing Pakistan’s performance.

“The proofs of hostile agencies’ connections with the terrorists in Pakistan are crystal clear and now the country’s intelligence agencies and the foreign office will follow up the case and apprehend those working behind the scenes,” the IGP said.

To a question, the IGP said Pakistan had developed a strong security system and the ‘enemy’ country’s intelligence agencies officials could no more enter Pakistan and operate. Instead, he said, they were now hiring people from within the country offering bait of huge money. “The mastermind serving the hostile agencies has also been identified,” he added.

Mr Ghani said a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) team had been constituted to investigate from the 10 Pakistani citizens including a woman involved in the car bomb blast. “The investigation agencies will also crack some other terrorism cases involving the 10 suspects already apprehended,” he stated.

The IGP rejected media reports that the suspect driving the car from Rawalpindi to Lahore was a fourth schedule accused and that the car was snatched in 2010. He said the suspect was never listed in the fourth schedule and the car snatched in 2010 was recovered in 2011. He said the car entered Punjab with original number plate and the driver was Punjabi. He said neither police nor any resident in the Johar Town E-block area made any complaint about the car.

The CM said the Punjab home department continued issuing threat alerts but it did not release any alert pertaining to the Johar Town blast.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2021