LAHORE – In a major breakthrough, the intelligence agencies have nabbed the mastermind of Lahore blasts and his close aide in a pre-dawn raid in southern Punjab, sources concerned disclosed, adding that the attacks had been crafted at an Indian consulate in Afghanistan a couple of months ago.
Qari Muzammal, the close aide of the mastermind and a commander of the banned outfit, has confessed to the investigators that India provided cash and ammunition to his group through its consulates in Kandahar and Jalalabad to carry out attacks in Lahore.
The security agencies arrested the mastermind of the Lahore blasts, his crony Qari Muzammal and three foreigners during the successful operation. The sources, however, did not disclose the name of the mastermind and said he was being interrogated under tight security. It is said that the culprit had just reached a remote district of southern Punjab when the security agencies carried out raids in the wee hours of Saturday, during which important evidence besides computer record, CDs and banned literature was also seized.
“He directed the Lahore RA Bazaar attacks from Faisalabad,” a source privy to the investigators said, adding that the attacks on Special Investigation Agency (SIA) building in Model Town and RA Bazaar were interconnected.
The mastermind of Lahore bombings left Faisalabad after local TV channels started airing the footage of the blasts, while he had directed the SIA building attack from Chakwal. The security agencies traced his whereabouts after intercepting phone calls he was making to his group members in the tribal region near Afghan border.
In last December, a top Indian government official visited Kabul and met Qari Muzammal, who had fled to Afghanistan via Balochistan after the GHQ attacks in Rawalpindi. Two weeks ago, he infiltrated into tribal areas from Pak-Afghan border after a short visit to Mumbai, where he met top Indian officials and got brief training.