Investigations: Police arrest suspect in connection to blast at ANP’s meeting

Cellphone parts used to trace suspects involved in the blasts at MQM office.

KARACHI: Police officials claim to have arrested a suspect on Sunday, who was allegedly involved in the bomb blast at a corner meeting of the Awami National Party on April 26 in Mominabad, Orangi town.

The bomb, which claimed 11 lives and wounded 45 others, had been placed in a Chingchi rickshaw and exploded a few minutes after the convoy of ANP general secretary, Bashir Jan, reached the site.

According to police sources, they traced the owner of the rickshaw to Arif Mehsud, by using the engine number of the vehicle. Mominabad SHO, Aurangzeb Khattak, said that the police managed to arrest the suspect after an exchange of fire at Mehsud’s hideout in Pakhtunabad, Manghopir.

Meanwhile, a prayer leader of a Masjid in Orangi Town, along with some of his group members, was reportedly detained by law enforcers over their alleged involvement in the recent attacks on political parties.

According to reports, the accused was a former worker of a politico-religious party and was also associated with the Naeem Bukhari group of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.

The detained were actively involved in the distribution of pro-Taliban pamphlets, warning people not to vote in the upcoming elections. These arrests, however, have not been disclosed to the public and no concerned officials were available for comment.

Separately, investigators are attempting to trace the suspects involved in the twin blasts which took place outside the election office of Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Saturday. Police found parts of a cellular phone which they suspect was used to detonate the bomb. CID SP Mazhar Mashwani told The Express Tribune that the parts have been sent to a forensic laboratory to assist with the investigation.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2013.