Suicide bomber, handler planning to target Mian Iftikhar arrested

NOWSHERA: The personnel of the secret agencies arrested an alleged would-be suicide bomber and his handler who had made a plan to target Awami National Party (ANP)’s senior leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain, sources said on Monday.
The sources said the detained bomber was identified as Mohammad Khalid alias Umar and his handler Usman Tahir.
They were taken to an undisclosed location for investigation. A laptop, suicide jacket and other documents were also reportedly recovered from the accused. It was not known when and where the accused were arrested.
The sources said that Mian Iftikhar Hussain, who is central general secretary of the ANP, was asked to restrict his movement in view of the fresh threats to his life. He had received similar advice from the authorities in the past because the militants have always considered him their main target due to his vocal stance against them.
Meanwhile, the police also arrested 23 suspected militants in search operations in various parts of Nowshera district.
Sources said that the arrested militants revealed that they had planned to target the Joint Elite Police Training Centre in Nowshera and the trains carrying passengers from Peshawar to Karachi.
Talking to reporters, Mian Iftikhar said he had received threats to his life and had asked the government to provide him security. He said that four cops had been providing him security, but they too were withdrawn by the government. He also asked the federal government to provide him security.
The ANP leader said the militants were still after his life even though he had forgiven the killers of his only son, Mian Rashid Hussain, who was target-killed in the family’s village, Pabbi.
Mian Iftikhar said he was not afraid of death and would promote the philosophy of non-violence as he was the follower of great freedom fighter Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Abdul Wali Khan.