Daily Times

KARACHI: Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Deputy Inspector General Syed Khurram Ali on Thursday said the mastermind of recent improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Karachi’s Saddar, Allah Dino, had got training in Iran.

He (Allah Dino) received instructions and money from Asghar Shah, the head of banned Sindhudesh Revolutionary Army (SRA) who was residing in Iran, said the DIG while addressing a news conference along with Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab.

A person was killed and many others suffered injuries during due to the IED blast occurred in the area of Karachi, Saddar. Allah Dino and Nawab Ali were killed in an encounter with the CTD force on Wednesday.

The CTD DIG said Allah Dino was involved in different subversive activities, including attacking the Railway tracks.

He also showed a CCTV footage during the presser and said Dino could be clearly seen walking with an IED-fitted bicycle for a few kilometers before parking it near the target. Later, he sat at a restaurant from where he detonated the bomb and left the place.

Dino was the same person who was in the video, he contended, adding that the CTD had technical evidences in that regard.

Syed Khurram said the attacker was traced from his phone number through geo-fencing.

The attacker was involved in both the kinetic and non-kinetic activities, the DIG said, claiming to have an audio recording in which Dino mentioned another similar plan for another place.

The DIG also played an audio recording of a call between SRA head Asghar Shah and Dino and said the attacker got money and instructions from Shah.

According to the CTD spokesman, Dino was out on a bail in a case registered against him in 2021 criminal conspiracy against the country’s integrity.

Meanwhile, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Pakistan, in a statement, “categorically rejected and denied” the allegations that the perpetrators of the Karachi terrorist bombings had any links to the country.

“The allegations were made in public and in the media without providing any evidence, proof or documents to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran through official means and this is completely unprofessional and unacceptable,” it stressed.

“Those who act in this way are thought to give the wrong address and project the false blame. Undoubtedly, a third party seeks to destroy the brotherly and friendly relations between Iran and Pakistan,” the embassy maintained.

“Officials and those involved in the media are advised not to fall into the trap of enemies of close relations between Iran and Pakistan,” it said.