Islamabad Blast: Religious Leaders Point to Enemy Hands

Religious leaders on Monday said that Taliban’s denial of having any hand in Monday’s terrorist attacks in Islamabad and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) once again proved that other enemy agencies had been committing such terrorist activities in the name of Taliban. They accused the state institutions and the media of too much attention given to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The religious leaders claimed that despite having proofs of the US and Indian agencies’ involvement in the subversive acts inside Pakistan, no action was ever taken to break their network and expel enemy agents from the country.

Jamaat e Islami chief Syed Munawar Hasan said that the secret agencies, including CIA, were deeply involved in terrorism inside Pakistan. In a statement from Makkah forwarded by JI information secretary Anwar Niazi on Monday, he expressed sorrow that the conspirators were trying their best to put the blames on Taliban, despite its denial. The JI chief said that despite Taliban statements that they considered the violation of ceasefire an act against Islamic Shariah, the statement by the leader of Opposition Khurshid Shah expressing doubts on Taliban was unjustified. He added that it was the government’s responsibility to expose the real culprits behind the current terrorist activities and urged the security institutions and agencies to be on high alert.

Jamaatud Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed and JD foreign affairs head Prof Abdul Rehman Makki said in a statement that several enemy agencies like the US had already set up terror bases inside Afghanistan and Islamabad had proofs of their involvement in terrorism on Pakistani territories. JUI-Sami secretary general Maulana Abdul Rauf Farooqi said Taliban had always been blamed for every terror activity in the country. They had been denying their involvement in attacks for many years but the fact was never highlighted. He added that the state policy had not changed to counter the enemy threats coming from outside the borders.

Two suicide bombers had blown themselves up inside a court complex in Islamabad on Monday killing eleven people and injuring dozens. The incident took place two days after the Pakistani Taliban declared unilateral ceasefire which was reciprocated by the Pakistani Government by suspending air strikes against the Taliban. An additional session Judge Rafaqat Awan was also among those dead, Pakistani media reported. The blasts were followed by firing, leaving the lawyers running for their lives. Inspector General of Police Sikandar Hayat told the reporters that it was a suicide attack.