The attack on the church claimed the lives of at least 80 people. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
According to police, the DNA report of the suicide bombers has been received which stated that the attackers were not Pakistanis and that one of them was Uzbek.
On September 22, over 80 people were killed and 150 others injured in the twin suicide bombing that took place outside the All Saints church after Sunday mass came to an end. The bombing is believed to be the country’s deadliest attack on Christians.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan had denied its hand in the attack.
“We didn’t carry out the church attack. However, we believe it’s according to the Sharia,” TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid had told the BBC Urdu in a telephone interview from an undisclosed location.
Asked who issues orders for any attack, he said the TTP central leadership did not necessarily take such decisions. “Our objectives are clear to all our component groups. They are free to select and attack the enemy targets.”
However, he added that the TTP had checked with all its groups and none of them owned the church attack.
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@Amused: If you're interested then read about chimerism(in detail), you'd understand why DNA tests are not acceptable in a matter of great consequence.
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks: Khocha tumara dimagh to nai pir gya?? Kaisa baat karti ha! Given the "right" by the locals to live? Do the locals own the land? :/ Planet earth was made by God and everyone has the right to live anywhere on earth. We should not be scared into slavery by the fear of death. That is ridiculous. I would infact urge that after a thorough background check, Pakistan should grant citizenship to every human who seeks it.
I would also urge that Pakistan train its citizens to protect themselves. Take the example of Israel, wonderful strategy. Very few would have the balls to infiltrate a nation of warriors.
Too bad the DNA report doesn't count for anything -- we still need 4 male sane muslim eye-witnesses to confirm.
Too many ignorant and racist Indians commenting here. The point is not the original race of the bomber, but the fact that it was a foreigner, most likely funded by intelligence agencies of other countries, India, along with US puppet Karzai being prime suspects. There are anti-state elements carrying out these bombings, and its proven time and again. MQM with crates of Indian-made weapons, Indian agents found teaching militants how to make bombs in KP, Balochistan, and US drone strikes which selectively target pro-government groups in the tribal areas while TTP is largely safe.
It's clearly a deliberate attemp to condone a known culprit .
It's clearly a deliberate attempt to condone a known culprit .
Pakistani gene pool is so polluted that it is hard to establish the nationality of a culprit through DNA testing . The ear wax sample can not give a reliable conclusion in a world where a person can move several countries within a weak . There is an apptoach to reveal the nationaliry through DNA testing but that technique is only available in India, Israeil and USA . Give them samples and they will tell you the exact nationality of the involved terrorists . Tney can even reveal that which group of TTP has conducted this heinous act .
Pakistani gene pool is so polluted that it is hard to establish the nationality of a culprit through DNA testing . The ear wax sample can not give a reliable conclusion in a world where a person can move several countries within a weak . There is an apptoach to reveal the nationaliry through DNA testing but that technique is only available in India, Israeil and USA . Give them samples and they will tell you the exact nationality of the involved terrorists . Tney can even reveal that which group of TTP has conducted this heinous act .
@Karim:
You raise interesting points. It could be possible.
Announcing the attackers as Uzbeks, which the army had once easily identified as 'foreign' enemies amongst militants earlier when it could not do so against other Afghan and Pak or foreign Arab based militants, maybe a convenient way to downplay the atrocity on the Christian minority by the hands of a Pakistani and blame it on the recent noted Uzbek militancy which exists.
Or maybe hoping to garner ethnic or nationalist demonizing support against the militants (which has been attempted before when trying to label the TTP as Indian agents, because they were uncircumcised - hence non-Muslims, but Pak came out looking even more ridiculous).
Or sadly an attempt to distance Jundullah from the TTP terrorists who they are trying to get talks going with, even though they condone the attack and have had a history of working with Jundullah.
Or the confirmation through DNA of an Uzbek suicide bomber could be exactly what it is in this instance...
They had ear wax samples of the bombers, by which DNA match was established to determine they were Uzbecks and not Pakistanis!
@It Is (still) Economy Stupid:
"Most Pakistani consider them to be Arabic from Middle East" . What are you smoking, please share.
@antanu:
I am not a scientist, but through my research it doesn't appear that DNA testing has the ability to determine that someone is specifically Uzbek. The close ethnic relationship between Central Asian peoples, including Pakistanis would make such a definitive determination nearly impossible. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan have ethnic groups that are virtually indistinguishable from Uzbeks, probably only differ culturally and linguistically (which is not in the DNA). I would like to see some scientific evidence of how this determination was made by the Pakistan government. If they knew the attacker and verified it with DNA then that is different and very possible, but magically determining that this attacker was Uzbek from his DNA is very unlikely. But I am open to being proven wrong with real scientific data.
This report about the DNA seems to be nothing more than the consistent attempt by the government and the press to place blame for these attacks on anyone other than Pakistani's. The reality is that there are many Pakistanis involved in civilian suicide attacks at all levels of planning and execution and a report denying blame will only allow these attacks to continue.
@Nero:
Please...learn some science and its advancement before commenting..DNA has now become a source of establishing the RACE and accordingly NATIONALITY of any person.
Really no point in wasting energy in trying to defend the TTP, whether or not they had a hand here, who do have a history of joint operations with Jundullah massacring minorities and other Pakistani citizens alike. They're sick ideological monsters. Pity few take issue with their abuse of Islam or humanity and would rather treat them like 'brothers'.
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks:
Ethnic profiling is iffy, because it tends to focus on racial features and neglect observing ideological behaviour. Should be careful as it could fan some xenophobic hysteria. Not unlike how some non-Pashtun Karachi residents were profiling their Pashtun counterparts earlier on (not that there wasn't a community problem even among Pashtun residents, such as ANP who admitted it was difficult even for them to identify and weed out those extremist inclined, but that is another story). And if you recall earlier in Balochistan where a Chechen family were gunned down at a checkpoint for no reason.
There is a growing Uzbek, as well as other Central Asian, diaspora in Pak. Unfortunately there is growing Uzbek (apart from Uyghur, Afghan, Arab, local) militancy amongst many other militancies in Pak too. Earlier the Pak army seemed motivated to move against the Chechen and Uzbek militants but that initiatives seems to have since dissipated, probably partly to how they've now become interlinked with other local and regional groups they are now members of rather than their own Uzbek dominated Islamist group banner.
Not surprising and should look beyond the 'foreign' label. Pak and the region is suffering both LOCAL religo-political Deoband/Ahle-hadith/Sunni extremist militancy AND FOREIGN religo-political Wahhabi/Salafi/Sunni extremist militancy. It is a global jihadist crisis, which Pak is one of the epi-centers, due to past and current policies.
Its not restricted to simply Pashtuns, Punjabis or Balochis, etc or even to Pak for that matter, though some ethnicities more influenced and regions more volatile, such as our own as well as Uzbeks' or Chechens', etc. There have been many foreign nationals unearthed, be it Saudi OBL, Afghan Haqqanis, Moroccan/Algerian operatives, Western Somalis or dual or overseas citizens of Pak origin, Arab, non-Arab alike, etc. Uzbeks happen to be one of the more active ones (I hesitate to say Uzbekistan should do more, knowing full well the tyrant that rules over them). Also of note is that Jundullah have some ex-Iran Baloch origin members, apart from local Pak members as well, and TTP has no issue doing business with fellow Al Qaeda and Taliban inspired international ideologues.
If true. it shows Pakistan can use technology to help solve crimes - kudos. Wasn't that long ago the report might say something like "dna proves that attackers weren't Muslim" or "attackers wore western clothing".
The problem comes back to the security and intelligence agencies, they should know who these people are and what are they doing in Peshawar and the surrounding areas. Uzbeks and other central Asians has distinct features and one could spot them right away in Peshawar, how come they were running around free of any checks on them, sure it will be tantamount to profiling but what else could be done to stop them and if it will save Innocent lives then it should be done.Any foreigners living in other countries around the world has been given privilege by the locals to live there and it should not be considered their Right, those who are undesirable should be kicked out.
ISI brings Muslims from other countries to train them in Islam and Jihad. This DNA thing is non-sense. Did Pakistan even tried to check DNA of terrorists killed on LOC or Bombay 26/11 attack or terrorists attacks in Afghanistan?
Government of Pakistan wants TTP to be a part of Pakistan's Jihadi projects. This is reason latest statements from Pakistan are coming to show TTP is not involved in the attacks. Just playing another Kargil.
"According to police, the DNA report of the suicide bombers has been received which stated that the attackers were not Pakistanis and that one of them was Uzbek." This is nothing but PR. They are quick to say one is from Uzbekistan but how about the other one? Most Pakistani consider them to be Arabic from Middle East Obviously everyone in Pakistan is from out side of Pakistan.
No no, please, this DNA report cannot be correct! It's more probable that aliens from Mars landed to carry out the Church bombing in Peshawar. However, someone must have taught them Sharia after they landed on planet Earth because the TTP have declared that the Church bombing complies with the brand of Sharia the latter want established all over Pakistan.
Plenty of Uzbeks and Central Asian militants have made N. Waziristan their playground and refuge. This news offers little surprise.
DNA report ??? what DNA report ... Pakistan is averse of DNA reporting when its a RAPE ...