TAXILA: Police on Thursday arrested three out of six suspects involved in the tragic shooting on a Suzuki van killing two minor students and injuring five of them in the Dheri Kot area in the limits of Attock Saddar police station on August 22.

Addressing a press conference at the district police office, District Police Officer Dr Ghias Gul revealed that Mohammad Safdar, his son Mohammad Azam and his cousin Raheem Khan, the three main suspects, went underground after the attack on the school van last Thursday. They were nabbed by police through human and digital intelligence.

He said the suspects were booked by the police under sections 302, 324, 109, 148 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

Responding to a question, he said efforts were underway to net three remaining suspects identified as Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Tariq and Nasir Mehmood.

Ruling out any terrorism-related activity, he said Mohammad Afzal, the van driver in a statement recorded with police, stated that a man identified as Ali Khan, an official of the forest department, was shot dead in the village on June 28 this year.

Mr Afzal stated that his brother-in-law identified as Mohammad Riasat and his two brothers Mohammad Asif and Alauddin were nominated in the murder case and the case was under trial at a local court.

To take revenge for the murder of their uncle, the six suspects riding on two motorcycles intercepted his vehicle, when he was going to drop children at a charity school located in a nearby village. They showered bullets on the vehicle, resulting in the deaths of two children identified as Rameen Shafiq and Arwa Jamshaid sitting in the front seat of the vehicle. Five other students were also injured.

Mr Gul said the police would utilise resources to the fullest to provide justice to the bereaved families.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2024