ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad police on Saturday formed a joint investigation team (JIT) to to investigate into the suicide car bombing in the federal capital.
The 8-member JIT, headed by the the superintendent of police of the counter-terrorism department (CTD) also includes three DSPs, SP Industrial Area, SDPO Sabzi Mandi, and two officers of the sensitive agencies.
One policeman was killed and 10 others were wounded when a suicide bomber blew up himself and a vehicle when a team of the Eagle Squad stopped it for snap checking in the I-10/4 area of the capital city. The banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban claimed the responsibility for the attack.
Growing Militant Attacks
The Pakistan particularly the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, which share borders Afghanistan, have experienced spike in militants attacks after the Taliban takeover of the conflict-torn Afghanistan, where anti-Pakistan militants Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has taken refuge and continue to direct cross-border attacks from there.
In response to growing concerns about terrorism, the Taliban government in Afghanistan has mediated and hosted peace talks between TTP leadership and Pakistan authorities. However after holding several round of talks, TTP announced of ending ceasefire and ordered its militants to launch terror attacks in Pakistan.
The banned TTP, an ideological twin of the Afghan Taliban, has been responsible for hundreds of attacks and thousands of deaths since emerging in 2007. Pakistan has several times exhorted the interim government in the neighbouring country to not allow its soil used as a “launchpad” for attacks against the country.
Terrorism case registered
The first information report of the incident was registered at the Sabzi Mandi police station on the complaint of Constable Muhammad Hanif under Section 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, sections 4 (punishment for attempt to cause explosion or for making or keeping explosive with intent to endanger life or property) and 5 (punishment for making or possessing explosives under suspicious circumstances) of the Explosives Substances Act.
Sections 109 (punishment of abetment if the Act abetted committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd), and 302 (punishment of qatl-i-amd) of the Pakistan Penal Code were added to the FIR.
All kinds of public activities banned for two weeks
All kinds of public activities, especially related to the local government elections, have been banned for two weeks in Islamabad in the wake of the suicide car bombing in the federal capital on Friday.
“In light of recent advisories/threat alerts issued by the law enforcement agencies and today’s attack on police, the security of Islamabad has been beefed up to obviate the threats within the jurisdiction of the capital which can disrupt peace and tranquility causing damage to public life and property. However, the likelihood of such activities cannot be ruled out in the coming days,” said the notification issued by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner.
Reacting to this, the district administration imposed Section 144 (under which gathering of five or more people and the holding of public gatherings and rallies is banned) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) for 15 days with immediate effect in Islamabad.
“All kinds of corner meetings, public gatherings, and congregations, especially in the wake of the upcoming local government elections, have been banned,” said the tweet. The decision was taken in light of the advisories issued by law enforcement agencies.
Meanwhile, security in the capital was put on high alert for the next 48 hours and advised citizens to call 15 in case of seeing any suspicious activity.
The Islamabad police in a series of tweets on Friday said that post-mortem and other investigations “did not reveal any evidence of the woman’s presence” in the vehicle that was used by the suicide bomber.
“The driver or the assailant may have wrapped himself in a blanket, suggesting the presence of the woman,” it said, adding that the cake cutting ceremony was also postponed.
