Key suspect in Lal Shahbaz shrine attack arrested

CTD DIG Amir Farooqui says arrest was made from Manghopir

KARACHI: In a major breakthrough, law-enforcement agencies on Friday arrested a key suspect involved in the bloody suicide attack on the Lal Shahbaz Qalander shrine in Sehwan earlier this year.

CTD Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Amir Farooqui announced the breakthrough at a joint CTD-Rangers press conference in Karachi.

The deadly attack on the shrine in February this year, which was claimed by the Islamic State group, had resulted in the deaths of at least 88 people and left at least 150 more wounded.

Following the bloodbath, the army had launched Operation Raddul Fasaad, saying it was aimed at eliminating the ‘residual/latent threat of terrorism’.

Nadir Ali alias Murshid was accused of being involved in the deadly bombing.

CTD DIG Amir Farooqui, who was flanked by CTD SSP (operations) Munir Shaikh, said: “The suspect had assisted the suicide bomber in a recce of the Sufi saint’s mausoleum in Sehwan.”

“The suspect had also arranged stay of the terrorists in Sindh and Balochistan.”



 

Farooqui explained that the arrest was made after intelligence agencies received a tip-off regarding his whereabouts.

“He was moving from Balochistan to Karachi and was arrested from the Manghopir area while riding a motorcycle. Explosives and arms were also recovered from his possession,” he said.

The accused belongs to Da’ish and during interrogation confessed that he along with his companions – Ghulam Murtaza alias Doctor, Safiullah and Barar Brohi (suicide bomber) – carried out the attack on the shrine at Sehwan Sharif on February 16.

“They had plotted to carry out the terrorist activity at the shrine in February at Dera Murad Jamali in Balochistan. Some more of their companions – Aijaz, Tanvir, Farooq Bangloi and Zulqarnain – also accompanied them,” explained DIG Farooqui.

“He (the arrested accused) had led the bombing at the shrine as he knew the area and reached Sehwan Sharif while taking the suicide bomber and Safiullah along with him through a public bus from Kashmore a day before the bombing.”

The officer said the suspects took a room on rent near the shrine and then assisted the suicide bomber in doing recce of the shrine, adding the arrested accused, however, was later provided with a bag containing a suicide jacket by the co-accused in the case, Ghulam Murtaza alias Doctor.



The accused informed his companion, Mustafam that the bombing would be carried out at 6:30pm because power outage occurred during that time.

“Safiullah helped the suicide bomber in wearing the suicide vest at a rented room near the shrine. When the power was gone, the suspects including the suicide bomber moved towards the shrine and dropped him (suicide bomber) inside the shrine.” DIG Farooqui said

“The suspects – including Safiullah, Mustafa and Nadir – later moved to Safiullah’s residence in Punjab.”

The accused further confessed that the accused Mustafa alias Doctor was recently killed in a security operation in Mastung district of Balochistan.

The CTD officials also recovered 400 grams of explosives, two hand grenades, one remote control, a pistol and other material used in making bombs.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has announced Rs5 million as reward money for the CTD police for arresting the key suspect in the Sehwan Sharif bombing.