No headway in prayer leader attack investigation

While the police failed to make any headway in tracking down one of the suspected attackers of Mufti Abdullah, the prayer leader of Subhania Mosque, reports emerged on Friday that the Counter-Terrorism Department had handed back arrested suspect Mudassir to the Jamshed Quarters police.

Farhan - the suspect on the run - and Mudassir are believed to have opened fire at Abdullah near Jamshed Road last Saturday, injuring the prayer leader.

According to sources in the police, the attack on Abdullah appeared similar to the one on Maulana Adil Khan, the administrator of Jamia Farooqia who was shot dead by unidentified men on October 10.

In the light of Mudassir's statement, it was initially suspected that Abdullah was shot for resisting a robbery bid.

Mudassir had told the police that Farhan had received information about a large quantity of money in the prayer leader's possession, based on which they attempted to rob him. The police said he claimed to not know the source of Farhan's information.

However, CCTV footage of the incident, in which Mudassir could be seen firing at Abdullah from a distance without attempting to snatch any of his possessions, suggested otherwise.

Later, sources in the police said that Abdullah told law enforcers he was not shot during a robbery bid. They said it had emerged that Mudassir was wearing a pair of shalwar kameez over a pair of pants and a shirt during the attack, indicating the possibility of the attackers being involved in other such incidents, donning such attire to mislead the police.

However, the police is yet to determine whether Abdullah was shot over a monetary dispute or if it was a terrorist attack.