20 suspects to face Bisham attack charges

Detailed report released, shared with Chinese

PESHAWAR:

An official report has detailed the progress made on the Bisham suicide attack investigation, revealing that several suspects have been arrested, and a charge sheet against 20 of them will be presented to an anti-terrorism court for trial.

The incident occurred on March 26, 2024, when a suicide attack on a coaster vehicle resulted in the deaths of five Chinese nationals and the Pakistani driver, Riyaz. The attack took place on the Karakoram Highway in Bisham, where sources stated a terrorist named "Muqti" had been killed.

A case against the suicide blast was filed at the Counter-Terrorism Department police station in Swat.

The report mentions that the convoy consisted of 12 vehicles, with nine carrying Chinese engineers and workers, totaling 26 foreign nationals. A motor vehicle and the suicide bomber's remains, along with a mobile phone number, were found at the crime scene.

The phone number helped identify the facilitators in contact with the suicide bomber. Geofencing and geotagging were also conducted for further investigations.

The documents reveal that one suspect, Adil, was arrested, leading to further arrests in various locations, including Swabi, Battagram, Mansehra, Charsadda, and Kuchlak, Balochistan. A total of 29 suspects have been named in the case.

According to the documents, these 29 suspects applied for bail in the ATC, but their application was rejected. They subsequently filed appeals in the high court.

The bail applications for 18 suspects were approved, while those of Zahid Qureshi and Adnan were dismissed.

The interim charge sheet, which has been handed over to the prosecution, includes suspects Zahid Qureshi, Adnan Khan, Abdullah, Muhammad Tahir, Bakht Nawaz, Muhammad Usman, Muhammad Amin, Kamal Khan, Abdul Rahman, Irfan Ullah, Abdullah, Sikha Ullah, Ayub, Nisar Muhammad, Chanar Shah, Imran Khan, Muhammad Usman, Ubaid Ullah, Sajjid Aziz, and Imran.

The search for other facilitators involved in the attack is ongoing. Sources have confirmed that the detailed report has also been shared with Chinese authorities.

Less than a week ago, significant progress was also made in the suicide bombing case near Karachi airport when Javed, the prime of the attack on Chinese nationals, confessed to his involvement in the planning and execution of the bombing, Express News reported.

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) lodged the FIR for the suicide bombing close to the Karachi Airport which claimed the lives of three people, including two Chinese nationals.

The report, presented at the Karachi Anti-Terrorism Court, outlines new revelations from the interrogation of arrested militant Javed, who confessed to his involvement in the planning and execution of the bombing.