Law enforcement agencies in Peshawar have successfully apprehended Mohammad Wali, the main facilitator behind the suicide bombing at the Police Lines mosque. The arrest was announced by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Inspector General (IG) Akhtar Hayat during a press conference.
Wali, a police constable, is said to have links to the banned terrorist group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. He played a crucial role in the reconnaissance for the suicide bomber at the Police Lines and was reportedly paid 200,000 rupees for his involvement in the attack.
IG Hayat revealed that Wali even involved his own brothers in the operation, paying them a mere 2,000 rupees each for their roles. The funds for the operation were transferred through illegal money transfer channels, with Wali’s network extending as far as Punjab. During the arrest, two suicide vests were recovered from him.
Further investigations have uncovered that Wali was allegedly involved in smuggling suicide jackets, bombers, and explosives from Afghanistan. The IG stated that Wali had taken a one-week leave and traveled to Afghanistan, where he met with terrorist commanders Salahuddin and Mukaram Khurasani in Kunar.
Upon returning to Pakistan, Wali was briefly detained by Afghan forces but was released following the intervention of his handler, identified as Junaid. Wali had communicated details of the suicide attack to his handler via Telegram.
The arrest of Mohammad Wali marks a significant breakthrough in the investigation of the devastating attack at the Police Lines mosque, as authorities continue to dismantle terrorist networks operating in the region.