Peshawar pizza store blast injures 5

Confusion on nature of the blast persists, with authorities unsure whether it was a rocket attack or cylinder blast.

PESHAWAR: Five people were injured in an explosion at a pizza store in Hayatabad, Peshawar, near the Khyber Tribal Territory. However, there remained confusion among the law enforcement agencies on the nature of the blast.

An official of the bomb disposal squad talking to The Express Tribune that while there was no evidence of dynamite usage, however "there is a possibility that it could have resulted from a cylinder exploding inside the shop ."

On the other hand, police had initially claimed that militants had fired a rocket at the store. Though this too could not be confirmed .

Some of the injured were identified as Abdul Ghani, Yousuf, Younus, Rehmat and Saifuddin. Hospital sources said that two of those injured had been badly burnt.

Police were still investigating the matter, three shops adjacent to the store had also been destroyed in the explosion.

ustify;�� oa�v ��c about the May 2 raid, Ijaz said that he first sent BBM to haqqani on May 3 because he wrote an article on raid in Financial Times.

 

He said Haqqani replied him saying “I agree with you FT piece, Just can’t say publically, let us work in tandem to save the situation” adding on May 6 he again sent message to Haqqani “I heard you were ill, are you ok? I am sending you a link to pull up, it’s my next piece in Washington Post, hope this one help you a bit”. He said after this Haqqani contacted him on May 9.

To a question of Ramday that why Haqqani choose him, Ijaz replied that Haqqani knew that he was a friend of General James Johns and John knew Mullen and he John could verbally deliver the message to Mullen and he (Ijaz) was easily deniable channel if the secret was leaked as no body in Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Army and ISI will believe on him (Ijaz).

Ijaz also submitted record of 82 emails exchanged between him and Haqqnai in last ten years.

Before Mustafa Ramday, Barrister Zafarullah also cross examined Ijaz. Ijaz to the answering to the questions of Barrister Zafarrullah said that he stand by his witness statement recorded till today.

He said that he met President Asif Zardari twice, once in 2005 and second time in 2009 on the request of Haqqani to brief him on the Pak-US relationship. He said was offered another meeting with the President after 2009 but it could not take place.

The commission will resume hearing Friday (today) at 2:00 pm.