KP police chief says it seems minor amounts of explosive were secretly transported into the Police Lines premises from time to time; confusion prevails as TTP announces it is not involved in the attack.
PESHAWAR - On the second day since the Police Lines mosque attack, the death toll reached 101 here on Tuesday as tense calm prevailed in the provincial capital.
Lady Reading Hospital spokesman Muhammad Asim said that the death toll had reached 101 while 53 victims were under treatment at the health facility and seven were in the ICU of the hospital. At the Police Lines, prayers were held for the deceased police officers. Senior police, army, and civic officials as well as the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Haji Ghulam Ali attended the funeral.
Tuesday’s high-level meeting, presided over by IGP Moazzam Jah Ansari, examined the state of law and order in the province. All of the regional and wing leaders received orders to visit the homes of the deceased and injured people and give their families financial support as well.
Additionally, Moazzam Jah Ansari went to the explosion scene to check on the rescue efforts. According to him, the bomb employed about 12kg of explosives, and the shock waves had caused the mosque roof to fall.
A combined inquiry team would look into the incident, he said, while adding that preliminary investigations indicate that minor amounts of explosives were brought into the Police Lines at various periods.
CCPO Ijaz Khan is leading an investigation team looking into the security gap element to determine how the suicide bomber was able to enter the police headquarters, according to the KP Police Chief. Also, following the declaration of a day of mourning by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the national flag remained at half-mast. Using heavy machinery, more victims were extricated from the wreckage, and the rescue efforts continued for more than 24 hours. Along with some other policemen’s bodies, the bodies of two deputy superintendents of police, Asmat Shah and Arab Nawaz, were also found. Meanwhile, some police officers with lower ranks urged via social media that the issue be thoroughly probed and that the department be shown how the incident occurred. Peshawar Police Lines was renamed after Malik Saad, who had been martyred in what was considered to be the first suicide attack in Peshawar in the year 2007. A few days ahead of the attack on him, Malik Saad had conducted an operation against drug mafia in Peshawar’s famous Karkhanu Market where he had demolished shops selling drugs for decades there.