Police lines attack suspect records statement

PESHAWAR:

Prime suspects in Peshawar Police Lines suicide attack case recorded his statement before a judicial magistrate on Wednesday, confessing his involvement in several terror attacks.

After recording his statement, the accused, Police Constable Muhammad Wali, was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

Notably, the physical remand of the accused was extended five times by the court. After recording his confessional statement, he was transferred to prison.

On Wednesday Constable Wali was produced before Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Muhammad Iqbal Khan. However, to record his statement, he was taken to the court of Judicial Magistrate Muhammad Shoaib.

In court, the investigation officer (IO) from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Peshawar, revealed some details about Muhammad Wali.

Wali is a policeman who facilitated the suicide bomber involved in the Police Lines attack. The CTD arrested him from the BRT station. The IO mentioned that Wali had been involved in several other attacks, including the murder of a Christian priest in Jameel Chowk back in 2022.

There is also evidence linking him to terrorism on Warsak Road, Shabqadar, and Gilani Market in 2023. Furthermore, the accused is also charged with providing the pistol used to kill a non-Muslim in Lahore in February 2024 and two police personnel in March 2024.

Wali used his police uniform to facilitate the transportation of weapons and ammunition to various locations. The accused had received training in Afghanistan while maintaining contact with a banned terror outfit, the CTD police said.

On the other hand, Wali confessed to various charges in his statement. As a result, he was sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.

It is worth noting that this case is linked to a tragic event—the Police Lines Peshawar blast on January 30, 2023 – where over 80 police personnel were martyred and more than 150 were injured.