Daily Times

KARACHI: A suspect, Nadir Jakhrani, allegedly associated with a militant outfit, confessed his involvement in the blast at the shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan,

on Monday. The blast occurred in February this year and claimed 90 lives. Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) presented the suspect before a judicial magistrate to record his statement under section 164 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), amid tightened security. In his statement, the suspect confessed that the terror act was planned in Balochistan by their mastermind Ghulam Mustufa alias Doctor. He told the magistrate that after the blast, he and others accused had fled to Balochistan. “The bomber entered the shrine from the central route. Ibrahim Brohi, Moulvi Ibrahim and Jaru Mahar were also involved in carrying the blast.

I and other suspects used public transport for commuting,” Jakhrani said. The police department had arrested Jakhrani from Manghpir, the outskirts of Karachi, on November 17 when he was trying to enter the city from Balochistan. The law enforcers also claimed to have seized explosive material from the suspect’s possession. Following his arrest, a case was registered under sections 4/5 of the Explosives Substances Act and section 23(1)-A of the Sindh Arms Act read with section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The main case was registered at Sehwan police station under sections 302 (premeditated murder), 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 120-b (punishment of criminal conspiracy), 440 (mischief committed after preparation made for causing death or hurt), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object ), 34 (common intention) of Pakistan Penal Code and section 3/4 of the Explosives Substances Act read with section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. As many as 90 devotees were martyred and 300 sustained injuries in the bomb attack that took place inside the shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar in Sehwan on February 16, 2017.

Published in Daily Times, November 28^th 2017.