CTD nabs driver of bomb-laden vehicle used in Johar Town blast

LAHORE – The Counter-Terrorism Department Punjab Monday claimed to arrest a man suspected of parking the vehicle loaded with explosive material in Johar Town area of provincial capital that killed three and injured 24.

Reports suggest that the detained suspect has been identified as Eid Gul who was nabbed during a raid in Rawalpindi. The security officials have shifted him from Rawalpindi to Lahore.

Earlier, the law enforcement agencies have already held the mastermind of the Lahore blast who was identified as Peter Paul David, from a Karachi-bound flight and shifted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

The foreign national is said to be the owner of the vehicle used in the explosion. It was also revealed that the vehicle was stolen in 2010 from Gujranwala and had been sold multiple times and David was its last owner, according to initial investigations.

Earlier, CTD lodged an FIR against three unidentified persons by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). The case was registered on the complaint of SHO City Police Station Abid Baig against those involved in the bomb blast that killed four people, including a six-year-old boy while 23 others suffered serious injuries.

The FIR includes 7ATA, 3/4 Explosives Act, 302, 324, 148/149, and other serious provisions.

Soon after the attack, the law enforcers conducted raids across different cities of Punjab in connection with the blast. CTD along with other intelligence agencies have collected the evidence from the crime scene while ball bearings, pieces of iron, and the vehicle's parts have been preserved for in-depth investigation.

Officials have taken into custody several suspicious persons after yesterday's blast, reports claimed.