No security given to Dir seminary despite threats

Administrator says K-P police have arrested 36 suspects

PESHAWAR:

The seminary in Dir Colony had received threats but was not provided with any security by the police or district administration before the October 27 bomb attack which killed seven and injured over 90 students.

This startling revelation was made by the seminary’s administrator on Wednesday even as police rounded up 36 suspects across the province while opposition parties demanded a judicial probe into the attack.

Jamia Zubairia Administrator Maulana Rahimullah Safi on Wednesday said that the religious seminary had received threats but was not provided with any security.

He added that the seminary has long been in the crosshairs of militants and terrorists, bearing the brunt of an attack four years ago. The administrator added that the police had been informed about the new threats, but they failed to take adequate steps to ensure their security.

Moreover, Safi said that after the last attack, they had taken some rudimentary steps to ensure security, but the madrassa administration lacked resources to take additional security measures.

Safi clarified that they were not affiliated with any political or religious group.

He reaffirmed their commitment to reopen the madrassa, where some 950 students are enrolled, but after due consultation within the seminary’s administration and with the security, law enforcement forces and the district administration.

Meanwhile, the Peshawar Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Wednesday said that they have arrested as many as 36 suspects in connection with Tuesday’s bombing at Jamia Zubairia. A CTD official told The Express Tribune that a search operation had been conducted near the madrassa while they also conducted intelligence-based operations in other parts of the province and arrested suspects as far as Bajaur and Dir.

Moreover, per the preliminary investigation report of the CTD and police, some maintenance work was being carried out in the washrooms of the seminary on the day of the blast. Hence, the official said, they were questioning all the labourers involved in the maintenance work.

Moreover, a student at the madrassa has also been detained for questioning while the record of students and their details are being scrutinised.

Judicial inquiry sought

Opposition parties in the province on Wednesday demanded a judicial inquiry into the bomb attack, and to include the Federal Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed in the investigation.

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) leader Mufti Kifayatullah and Awami National Party (ANP) provincial spokesperson MPA Samar Haroon Bilour made the demand in separate statements on Wednesday.

The JUI-F leader, who spoke to the media during a visit to the madrassa, demanded that Awami Muslim League (AML) chief and federal minister Ahmed should be included in the investigations as he had claimed that terrorists could carry out bomb attacks in Quetta and Peshawar ahead of the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) rallies. So far, his predictions have proven to be true.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2020.