Balochistan

Ziarat residency attack mastermind arrested: Police claim

The accused was arrested during a raid in Hazar Ganji area on the outskirts of Quetta

Mohammad Zafar May 22, 2015

SSP Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya during a press conference in Quetta on Friday. PHOTO: NASEEM JAMES/EXPRESS

QUETTA: Quetta police on Friday claimed that they had apprehended a man who had mastermind the Ziarat Residency attack.

“The mastermind was arrested during a raid in Hazar Ganji area on the outskirt of the provincial capital on Friday,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operation Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya said during a news conference in Quetta.

He explained that officials had raided a compound following a tip-off. During the raid they arrested the Pukkar (Paku Marri).

Goraya said that Pukkar was among 15 terrorists who were involved in attacking the Ziarat Residency on June 15, 2013, adding that “During the interrogation the accused had confessed his crime.”

He further claimed that Pukkar was a wanted criminal and that Ziarat Police had been searching for him for a while.

SSP operations added that at least nine out of 15 accused of the attack have already been arrested.

Read: Culprits responsible for destroying 'Ziarat Residency' arrested: Asim Bajwa

Earlier in August, Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) had issued a press note claiming the attackers responsible for destroying the national heritage building had been arrested.

Militants had broken into the Ziarat Residency on June 15, 2013, and filmed how they went through every room, destroying memorabilia before burning down the entire building.

Read: BLA claims attack on Jinnah residency in Ziarat

The attack had been claimed by the banned Baloch Liberation Army.

Last year on Independence Day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the reconstructed Ziarat Residency. The reconstruction project was executed by prominent architect Nayyar Ali Dada at a cost of around Rs140 million and it was completed in a record time of five months.

Read: Ziarat Residency restored: Negative politics should end says PM

COMMENTS (2)

atherkhanturi | 9 years ago | Reply i think bringing the culprit of the bus attack is more necessary than this. its a good news by the way. but it seems that authority is quite insensitive toward any sectarian killing.

Sadam | 9 years ago | Reply what a big news is this quaid e azam residency restored or the master mind behind the attach arrested at very same day when the residency was blown by terrorists another incident took place in quetta more than 30 female students of Sardar Bahadur Khan women university lost their lives i wonder the government an people care about that stupid old building where after a short stay the national leader died and no one cares or even try to put light on the martyer of SBK women university innocent students what a shame all government and media cares about the prestige of a dead building not for living humans.

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