Investigators probing the attack on Crime Investigation Department (CID) Senior Superintendent Police (SSP) Chaudhry Aslam’s residence believe that the actual target was the police official’s son.
An explosive-laden van was driven into the house of the SSP in the Defence area on September 19, killing eight people, including a woman and her eight-year-old son. Intelligence agencies had traced a phone call made before the attack in which a plan to kill “Saudi’s son” was being discussed, sources privy to the investigation told Pakistan Today.
The security agencies inquired about the whereabouts of the Saudi consul general’s son but found out that he was not in Karachi. The matter was discussed in a meeting of security agencies and it was concluded that the word “Saudi” might be a code word. Later, security was beefed up at all places starting with the letter ‘S’ or ‘C’ including the Saudi Consulate, Supreme Court, Sindh High Court, City Courts and the Central Police Office.
Law enforcement agencies, including the CID headed by SSP Aslam, carried out search operations in the city and dozens of suspects were arrested but the attack could not be stopped. After the blast, it was realised that the word “Saudi” was the code word for CID. Security agencies also conducted raids to arrest the people, who had the telephonic discussion but could not succeed.
Sources claimed that the attackers did not have enough information about the movement of SSP Aslam so they tried to target his son. The attacker hit a Vigo van, which was parked in front of the SSP’s house, in which his son had to leave for school. A person has also claimed that he saw the suicide bomber from a close distance before the attack.
“Police have found a witness, who saw the suicide bomber’s face and this can help prepare his sketch,” the sources said.
