Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Monday that the Punjabi Taliban were behind the bombing in Karachi’s Abbas Town, just as they had carried out attacks in Quetta.
Talking to reporters at a private hospital after meeting with the victims of the tragic blast in Karachi, the minister said that the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) had its headquarters in Punjab. He claimed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had entered into an electoral alliance with the banned organisation. “This is an open question for the Punjab government: How many of them [LeJ members] did you arrest? How many of their offices were closed in Jhang and Multan? What happened to their madrassa in Rahim Yar Khan?” He said that terrorism in the country would be eliminated “only if action is taken against terrorists in Punjab”. He said the terrorists wanted to delay the upcoming general elections.
He further claimed that the backbone of the terrorists had been broken, adding that 30 activists of the LeJ had been arrested in Karachi alone.
He said that he had provided intelligence about a possible terrorist attack in Karachi’s Shia-dominated areas. He asked why the Sindh police chief and home secretary had not raised security despite getting information. “Security was only kept strict only for four days,” he added.
He also vowed to arrest those involved in the Abbas Town incident within next 48 hours.
He said he was proceeding to the Chief Minister’s House to preside over a meeting along with Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah to review the progress of investigation into the incident.
The LeJ had previously claimed responsibility of two attacks in Quetta’s Alamdar Road and Kirani Road.