CTD arrests Johar Town blast mastermind

Picture source: iStock

The Counter Terrorism Department has arrested the mastermind behind the Johar Town blast, Sami-ul-Haq, and facilitator Uzair Akbar from Balochistan during an intelligence-based operation.

Speaking at a press conference, Inspector General CTD Punjab Afzal Ahmed Kausar and Deputy Inspector General Operations Punjab Kamran Adil said that both terrorists were arrested from Kundi Checkpost, RCD Highway, Quetta.

Kausar said that both terrorists were returning to Pakistan after crossing the border. Local and foreign currency and laptops were recovered from their possession, he added.

Terrorist Samiul Haq was the master planner of Johar Town blast while Uzair Akbar provided logistical support for the attack. Iranian currency, UAE dirham, Turkish lira, Afghani and Pakistani currency were recovered from the arrested terrorists.

The CTD had arrested the first five terrorists in the blast case, Paul David, Ziaullah, Eid Gul, Ayesha and Sajjad in Johar Town, Lahore on June 23 last year.

The blast, which took place near the residence of Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed in Johar Town, had killed three people and injured 24 others, including a police constable.

Eid Gul, Sajjad, Ziaullah and Paul David had been sentenced to death and fined by the court while accused Ayesha was sentenced to five years imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of Rs50,000.

Kausar said that security in Punjab has been placed on high alert after the Karachi suicide bomb attack incident. He added that the arrested terrorists were helping [authorities] to reach more accomplices in the investigation. He concluded by saying that the Anarkali bomb blast incident was under investigation and important developments would be made public soon.