Investigators say target of suicide bomber was JUIF rally

PESHAWAR: The target of the suicide bomber, who blew himself up near a police van on Sunday night, was a political rally in the vicinity, but the cops intercepted him ahead of the venue to save the lives of scores of political workers, a source told The News.

"The martyred sub-inspector Laiq Zada, constable Alamzeb and other cops on Ring Road near GT Road stopped the suspicious man and were checking his card when he detonated explosives around his vest," a police official said.

The official said the bomber was likely on the way to target the rally of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazal at some distance, but detonated explosives tied to his vest after realizing he could not make it to the public meeting.

JUIF organized a major 'Shuhada-e-Ghaza and Difa-e-Pakistan' rally on Ring Road in the provincial capital on Sunday evening, where its chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and many other senior leaders addressed the workers.

"The two heroes sacrificed their lives, but they averted a major disaster by stopping the bomber ahead of the venue of the rally that was attended by thousands of workers and supporters," said the official.

Some of the cops at the checkpoints were also injured and are being treated at a hospital. Sub-inspector Laiq Zada and constable Alamzeb were martyred and five others were wounded in a suicide attack on a patrolling party of the Chamkani Police in the provincial capital on Sunday evening.

The lower body of the suspected suicide bomber, a bearded young man, was completely destroyed in the blast. The two martyred cops were laid to rest at their ancestral graveyards after funeral prayers were offered at the Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines.

Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah, Capital City Police Officer Qasim Ali Khan, elected members and others attended the funeral prayers.

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi visited the family homes of the two cops in Daudzai and Mathra on Monday and offered fateha.

He paid tributes to the fallen heroes for their bravery and for offering the sacrifice of their lives to save others. The officers and jawans of the Peshawar Police paid tributes to the fallen heroes after they came to know that the two martyred saved many people by sacrificing their lives.

Quran Khwani was held for the departed souls at the main mosque of the police headquarters, while they were lauded on social media. "Father of Laiq Zada, sub-inspector Afzal Shah, was also martyred in a terrorist incident in the limits of Badaber police station in 2009. The force is indebted to the family," said the CCPO. He was all praise for the martyred and wounded policemen for thwarting a major disaster.