A key terrorist leader linked to the recent attack on Pakistan army's fortified general headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi has been arrested, police claimed today.
Qari Ishtiaq, described as a central commander of the Punjabi Taliban network, was arrested a few days ago in Bahawalpur district of southern Punjab.
This region is considered a stronghold of the Punjabi Taliban, which mainly comprises operatives of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Sipah-e-Sahaba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. Police seized 400 kg of explosives, 11 grenades, four assault rifles, a rocket launcher and scores of bullets from his possession.
Seven accomplices of Ishtiq were subsequently arrested in Sargodha, Gujranwala and Mailsi, police said. Besides the attack on the army headquarters on October 10, Ishtiaq also confessed to his involvement in the suicide car bombing of the Marriott hotel in Islamabad a year ago and attacks on two police training centres and the Federal Investigation Agency office in Lahore October 15, a police officer said.
Ishtiaq was arrested on information gleaned from Gul Khan alias Hijratullah, who was nabbed for an earlier attack on the police training school at Manawan.
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