RAWALPINDI, Nov 21: Investigators probing into killing of four security men and a civilian took five police officials into custody on Monday.

The men who were killed during an unsuccessful attempt to catch leader of the outlawed Lashkar-i-Jhangvi in Pir Chambal Pind Dadan Khan left everyone raising eyebrows on the performance of police.

The arrests were made on suspicion of having links with terrorist groups, Dawn has learnt. Of the five cops, three were posted at Pind Dadan Khan police station, one was associated with security branch whereas the fifth was posted at Lillah police station.

All of the cops taken into custody were shifted to Jhelum for further interrogation; the source said, adding that evidence collected so far pointed towards possibility that the cops were hiding something important from the investigators.

When SHO Pind Dadan Khan Sagheer was contacted, he cautiously said he did not know anything however he said it was his senior officer DSP Saddar Jhelum who was investigating the case.

The names of the policemen taken into custody were Zulfiqar Ali, Mohammad Shahbaz and Jabbar Hussain, Sadaqat Hussain and Zulfiqar Hussain.

A police official requesting anonymity said the cops were arrested after they refused to hand over their mobile phones to the investigating officers. —Mohammad Asghar