The investigations wing of the Lahore Police finally earned some honour in the eyes of the public by arresting the first terrorism suspect involved in carrying out low intensity blasts at different shrines located in different areas of the city, Pakistan Today learnt through sources in investigations wings of the Lahore Police on Monday.
The investigations wing of the Lahore Police achieved a major breakthrough after a motorcycle blew up late on September 27 few yards away from a local university in B-Block, Faisal Town.
The arrested man has been identified as Hafiz Muaz, a bachelor’s programme student at the Lahore University.
For the first time, the investigations wing found something as circumstantial evidence from the crime scene in the shape of a burnt bike. According to sources, the chasis number of the bike was intact which helped police in moving forward in the case.
The police came to know that the bike was sold by Ulfat Traders, who sold motorbikes on instalments. Investigations revealed that the bike ownership had been transferred to four people after it was sold by Ulfat Traders, and currently it was owned by Abdul Kareem, who had purchased the bike on an open letter.
The police arrested Kareem after raiding at his house near Azadi Chowk on Bund Road. Kareem, during the course of interrogations, claimed that some unidentified men had stolen his motorbike about two hours before the explosion and he had not reported the incident to the police because he had initiated a search on his own.
Sources said that when investigators further grilled Kareem, they came to know that Kareem had crafted this story to save his skin. The police found out that the bike was being used by Kareem’s son, Hafiz Muaz.
Police investigators, to ensure Muaz’s arrest, treated Kareem as if they believed in his story, however later, after confirming Muaz’s presence at his house, they raided and successfully arrested Muaz.
“Hafiz Muaz has burnt injuries on different parts of his body: an arm, hand and face,” told an investigator. “Muaz’s injuries confirmed that he was the real culprit and when we grilled him after his arrest, Muaz had nothing to say but yes,” the investigator added.
Muaz, while confessing his crime in police custody, told investigators that he studied in Lahore University and was involved in carrying out low intensity blasts at different shrines.
Sources, while quoting Muaz, said Muaz had visited Afghanistan where he remained attached with Tehreek-e-Taliban as an active part and carried out different terrorist activities but later returned to Pakistan and started living with his family. He told investigators that on September 27, he was going to plant a low intensity bomb at Gujjar Peer shrine in Faisal Town. He told investigators that he had planned to plant two bombs: one at the said shrine, while the other at a distance of few meters from the shrine. He told the investigators that he was changing device batteries when suddenly a spark generated and the explosive material caught fire and exploded. He said that after the blast, he fled from the scene to save his skin.
The arrest of Muaz has finally taken low intensity blasts into drop scene as the Lahore Police has managed in arresting Muaz.
SSP Investigation Abdul Razzaq Cheema while talking to Pakistan Today confirmed the arrest but refused to give any details, stating that they would disclose the detail in a press conference on Tuesday (today). He confirmed that the arrested accused was the son of Kareem and he was nabbed by the investigation police. To a question, he however said that he was not aware if any accused involved in carrying out low intensity blasts was held by the investigations wing of the Lahore Police before he took charge of his duties as SSP Investigations.