Efforts on to apprehend culprits: Lahore police chief

ISI, MI, special branch, investigation wing of police and NCNC will conduct a probe into the suicide attacks Data Darbar.

Investigators of the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), special branch, investigation wing of police and National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) will conduct a probe into the suicide attacks on the shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh, Lahore’s police chief told the high court on Friday.

The chief justice of the Lahore High Court was holding proceedings of a suo motu notice into the twin suicide hits on the shrine, apparently the result of a security lapse.

Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Muhammad Aslam Tareen, in his written report about the progress in investigation into the blasts, said concerted efforts are being made to apprehend the real culprits. The home department has constituted a joint investigation team including deputy inspector general (DIG) investigation, senior superintendent of police (SSP) investigation, representatives of ISI, MI and special branch for the purpose.

The CCPO said DIG investigation had collected the remains of human corpses from the scene of the assault and sent them to the forensic science laboratory for DNA tests. The report would be received in 15 days.

The director-general of the NCMC has been requested to provide technical assistance through NADRA, including verification of fingerprints and facial recognition, to help finalise the case, the report said.

In this regard statements of police officials, volunteers (Razakars) and other people on duty have been recorded.

Material collected from the spot, including pieces of suicide jackets and explosives used in the attacks, have been sent to Civil DefenCe for analysis. Footage grabbed by CCTV cameras has been sent to the director-general forensic science laboratory for enlargement of photographs through modern digital technology. The statement of former mayor of Lahore Khawaja Riaz Mahmood had also been recorded, the report said.

The DIG has requested sector commanders of ISI and MI Punjab and additional IGP special branch to nominate their representatives in the team, the report concluded.

The chief justice adjourned the case until July 23, as DNA test results are awaited. “During this period I want to see progress in the case,” the CJ remarked.

Through a verbal request Khawaja Riaz Mahmood asked the chief justice to issue directions to the police and administration to open more entry points of the shrine as only one door was opened and thousands of devotees were facing hardships. At this, the chief justice remarked that it was up to the CCPO and Auqaf department to make any decision by keeping security of the shrine uppermost.  Taking the suo motu notice during his visit to the shrine, the CJ had directed the CCPO to arrest the actual culprits and not to show lethargy in this regard.

On July 5, CCPO had informed the court that security had been tightened at Data Darbar and others shrines in the city. During the course of proceedings, the CCPO admitted that poor security arrangements let the suicide attackers accomplish their evil motive.

During the previous hearing, the CJ had observed that involvement of “Blackwater” had also been discussed in some media reports, so police should also investigate this aspect.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2010.