Lahore:
Pakistani safety agencies have identified the principal individual behind the vehicle bomb blast outdoors the residence of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed and arrested 3 more persons in connection with the case, officials mentioned on Saturday.
Three teams of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) have been sent to Karachi, Peshawar and Sheikhupura for gleaning more information and facts about these involved in the blast, an official mentioned.
According to Pakistan’s Punjab province’s Law Minister Basharat Raja, so far eight suspects have been taken into custody in connection with Wednesday’s blast that left 3 individuals dead and 21 other folks injured.
“Three more suspects have been arrested from Lahore, Sheikhupura and Peshawar in connection with the Lahore blast on the information of the main suspect — Peter Paul David,” an official of the CTD told PTI.
He mentioned the 3 suspects had remained in make contact with with David whose vehicle was applied in the blast.
The investigators are attempting to attain the ”mastermind” of the blast, he mentioned.
Another official mentioned the mastermind of the blast has been identified and his name is Samiullah of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.
“Currently Samiullah is living in Dubai and his brother had planted the explosives in the car,” he mentioned, adding that police are conducting raids to arrest Samiullah’s brother.
David was arrested on Thursday at the Lahore airport, a day soon after the blast.
“Yesterday our team raided David’s residence in Mahmoodabad (Karachi south) and seized his travel and other important documents,” he mentioned.
The Saeed has been serving a jail sentence at the higher-safety Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore for his conviction in terror financing instances.
The blast sparked rumours that Saeed was present in the residence.
Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, has been convicted for 36 years imprisonment in 5 terror financing instances. His punishment is operating concurrently.