LAHORE, Jan 12: The Punjab police claimed on Sunday to have arrested one of the two men who threw hand grenades at a Daska church on Christmas Day.

Three girls were killed and 14 other worshippers were injured in the attack on the Protestant Church in Chianwali village, some 75 km from Lahore.

Gujranwala Range DIG Malik Muhammad Iqbal told Dawn the accused was rounded up on the basis of information gathered by the police with the help of intelligence agencies.

“The arrest was not made on the identification of prayer leader Muhammad Afzal who is in police custody,” the DIG said.

Afzal was a prayer leader at a mosque only a stone’s throw from the church. According to the villagers, Afzal had issued an edict after 9/11, asking Muslims to kill Christians.

The DIG said one of the accused was being interrogated by several law enforcement agencies and he had confessed his involvement in the grenade attack.

Punjab IGP Masud Shah had recently told newsmen in Islamabad that one of the ‘attackers’ on church was in custody. The IGP had refused to elaborate.

The DIG, too, declined to disclose the identity of the ‘attacker’ in police custody on the pretext that it was likely to hamper the investigation.

Asked whether the accused belonged to any sectarian organization or had links with some local or foreign group, the DIG said: “wait till the arrest of the other attacker.” The IGP, however, said the accused was not foreign-trained.

Falls to death: A man died after falling from an electricity pole while putting up a banner in Lohari in connection with the arrival of the Punjab chief minister on Sunday.

Residents told police Muhammad Waseem, 28, climbed an electric pole to put up a banner. The man suffered an electric shock and fell from the pole. He sustained a head injury and died instantly. His body was returned to his family without autopsy.