PESHAWAR, Feb 6: Officials investigating the Qissa Khwani bomb blast that killed 13 people on Jan 27 have said that the same elements were behind the terrorist act who had masterminded the suicide attack in Islamabad on Jan 26.

“Bomb blasts of Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan and Islamabad had the same source,” said Fiaz Ahmad Khan Toru, assistant inspector general, investigations, who is heading the team probing the Peshawar bomb blast.He said they had been collecting evidences from different sources and would reach the perpetrators soon. “As of now, it will be premature to blame anyone,” he said, adding that any disclosure at this stage would alert the culprits.The chief investigators said that nobody had been arrested in connection with the Peshawar bomb explosion.

When his attention was drawn to the reported arrest of a suspect, he said: “it’s all rubbish”.

The SSP Investigations, Qazi Jamilur Rehman, also set aside the impression that anyone had been arrested. He said that several people in the locality where the bomb blast occurred had been interrogated in a bid to reach the culprits.

Shopkeepers in the areas were also being interviewed if they had seen the suicide bomber before he blew himself up, he added.