Pakistan: Lahore's Mall Road attack handler, associates arrested

Claiming a breakthrough in The Mall carnage investigation, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the alleged handler of the attack and some of his associates had been arrested.

"We have successfully traced out trail of the terror act," the CM said in a press conference here yesterday, adding that the suicide bomber came from Afghanistan, where the attack was planned.

Revealing the details of the alleged handler of the bomber, the chief minister said his name is Anwarul Haq Kakar and he belongs to Fata's Bajaur Agency, near Afghanistan. He said Anwar and his suspected associates were arrested in a joint operation of Counter Terrorism Department, police and IB.

Also read: Suicide blast rocks Lahore's Mall Road, 16 including 2 senior cops killed

The handler's local ID card and two photographs of the suicide bomber, one taken at some unknown place, most probably in Afghanistan, when he was alive and the other after he exploded himself, were also shown to the media.

A video recording showing Anwar confessing his role in the attack and how he facilitated it was also screened to the media.

Also read: 100 killed in bombing at Shahbaz Qalandar shrine; US, UN condemn attack

Black sheep in the Afghan refugees

When a query was put about the use of Afghan refugees by the terrorists, the chief minister, reserving some classified information as a matter of policy, shared with the media that some 'black sheep' existed in the ranks of the Afghan refugees and they were auxiliary to terror acts in Pakistan.

He said Afghan refugees "are our brothers, we have hosted them for over three decades and we have great respect for them. But some black sheep find place in their ranks and we urge Afghan refugees to identify and hand them over to the law enforcers" ; otherwise, the law will take its own course against them. He said the refugees will be enhancing their respect if they point out the wrong doers among them.