Interior Adviser Rehman Malik has said an Afghan involved in attack on the police training centre at Manawan has been arrested, and involvement of foreign hand in the incident cannot be ruled out. The adviser disclosed this while addressing a press conference at the headquarters of Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) on Monday. Director-General, Pakistan Rangers (Punjab) Maj-Gen Yaqub Khan, Punjab IG Khwaja Khalid Farooq and Lahore CCPO Habibur Rehman were also present on the occasion.
Rehman said six policemen lost their lives in the attack whereas two more bodies have been recovered, one of which has yet to be identified.
He said it has been revealed during preliminary investigation that the terrorist, a Pashto speaking Afghan national who couldn't speak Urdu, arrested by the forces, belongs to Paktika province of Afghanistan and was living in a rented house in Lahore.
He said the terrorists involved in Monday's incident have links to the tribal areas, particularly South Waziristan where the entire planning of the incident had been done.
"Foreign hand may be behind the attack," said Rehman Malik while answering a question about the involvement of foreign hand in the Manawan incident. However, detailed results would come during next three days.
Earlier, during his visit to Manawan, Rehman Malik, while talking to the media, said having failed in their activities in Fata, the terrorists have turned to other cities of Pakistan. He said the operation against the terrorists was successful due to the assistance of security forces and the soldiers deserved all praise. To a query about the attack on the Sri Lankan team, Rehman Malik said the investigation into the matter has been completed and the report would come to surface soon.
Agencies add: Meanwhile, Malik told a private TV channel that the terror strike in Lahore was similar to the Nov 26 carnage in Mumbai. He said Pakistan has been hit by a "wave of terrorism", adding the terrorists were trained and "used terror as a weapon". Malik admitted the police training centre was not secure and was not designed to prevent terror strikes. "New buildings will have enhanced security."
Talking to Geo News channel, he said security has been put on high alert across the country and more contingents of Rangers have been sent to Manawan. The incident is part of the terror wave which has begun from the NWFP.
In a telephonic interview to another television channel after successful completion of operation at the police training centre, he said a number of terrorists have been arrested in the operation. He said four of the terrorists were killed during the operation while the rest have been nabbed by the law enforcement agencies.
He said some terrorists were dressed in police uniform and the investigation is going on to know exact number of the gang. Their number would become public very soon, he added.
He said a high-level investigation team has already been formed. As a number of terrorists have been arrested, their interrogation would help reach the masterminds, he said.
To a question, the adviser said the investigators of the Sri Lankan team attack incident have gathered valuable information about terrorists but at the time details cannot be made public. He said the method of Monday's attack was different from that on the Sri Lankan team, but facts would come on surface after the investigation.
Meanwhile, the interior advisor visited the Services hospital to inquire after the injured. Talking to newsmen on the occasion, Rehman said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani would soon announce a compensation package for the martyrs and injured. "The media should not guess about the incident of Manawan terrorist attack and we will present preliminary report about the incident in three days," he said.
"We had information that the terrorist could attack police installations and information was passed to the quarters concerned," he said, adding law enforcement agencies were alert and had reached the spot within no time after they were called to counter the terror incident.
The adviser said 95 policemen and two passers-by were injured while a suicide jacket was also recovered. He said three terrorists blew themselves. He said the president and the prime minister have approved sanctioning of 25,000 officials with best possible training to face acts of terrorism in every province. He said the injured will not be discharged from hospitals before their complete identification, so as to arrest the terrorists, if any, among them.