ISLAMABAD, Sept 16: After failing to convince the prime minister secretariat and the ministry of interior about the mysterious disappearance of a terrorism suspect picked during a raid at a house in Bhara Kahu on August 30, the capital police on Monday showed his formal arrest, sources in the police said.

The police also said the arrested man, Hammad Adil, had confessed to his involvement in the assassination of federal minister for minorities Shahbaz Bhatti in the capital city in March 2011.

A spokesman for the inspector general of the police (IGP) said Hammad had made the plan to kill the minister as the latter opposed the blasphemy law.

The culprits used a Suzuki Mehran to execute their plan while the weapons, including AK-47, used in the crime were arranged by Tanveer, another terrorist associated with the Punjabi Taliban, he added.

After the August 30 raid at the Bhara Kahu house, the police said they had recovered an explosive-laden car and also arrested its owner, Hammad Adil.

However, later the same day, the police denied the arrest saying the suspect escaped from the house during the raid.

On Monday, the police claimed that the alleged terrorist was arrested from a bus terminal at Pirwadhai along with another suspect on Sunday night. The police said the suspects were carrying one kilogramme explosive.

When police officers were contacted, they claimed that the Sabzi Mandi police had arrested Hammad Adil, who was wanted to the Bhara Kahu police in the vehicle-born improvised explosive device case registered on August 30.

It may be noted that soon after the recovery of the vehicle, the police had also established the association of the accused with a most wanted terrorist – Tanveer of Punjabi Taliban. The police had claimed that “Hammad Adil is a close associate of Tanveer, who is one of the most wanted terrorists.”

The police further claimed that Tanveer’s involvement had already been confirmed in a number of terror incidents in the twin cities.

A senior police officer on the condition of anonymity said Hammad Adil was arrested during the Bhara Kahu house raid on August 3o but later he was shifted to an ‘interrogation cell’ and the police made the story of his escape.

However, when the PM secretariat through the interior ministry asked the police about his mysterious disappearance thrice, the police decided to make his formal arrest, he added.

The officer said during the 15 days custody the suspect had ‘confessed’ to his affiliation with Tanveer and involvement in attacks on a law enforcement agency’s bus in Rawalpindi, assassination of Surgeon General Mushtaq Baig, suicide attack on the Danish embassy and Nato terminals.