The death toll of the Raiwind suicide attack on a police check-post reached 11 after another victim succumbed to injuries in a local hospital on Friday morning. On Wednesday night, a Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (Fazalullah group) sponsored attacker blew himself up killing at least nine people including five policemen on the spot after some police officers tried to stop him from entering a congregational place where a biannual Tabligi Ijtima event was under way, said senior police officials.
Constable Sabir Ali, who was under medical treatment at Jinnah Hospital, succumbed to wounds on Friday morning. The constable was the gunman of Raiwind Circle ASP Zubair Ahmad Sheikh, who is also in the intensive care unit (ICU). According to doctors, the death toll may increase as at least nine more people, including four policemen, are in critical condition in various hospitals.
In a separate development, the Punjab police on Friday constituted a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) comprising of officials of intelligence agencies, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab, and senior policemen to probe the attack and to hunt down the master minds and facilitators. For the purpose, sources said the law enforcers have completed geo-fencing of the blast site and short listed suspicious calls. The body parts of the attacker have also been sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA) for analysis, they added.
According to the first information report (FIR) which has been lodged against the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on the complainant of CTD City SHO Abid Baig, at least four unidentified men tried to enter the main venue of the congregation site. After they were stopped for checking, one of them blew himself up killing at least 10 people including six police officers and injuring 39 others. The FIR was registered under Section 109/120-B, 427/34, 353/186, 302/324 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and 7-Anti-Terrirism Act (ATA), 1997, and 3/4ESA against four unidentified persons for carrying out the terrorist attack.
It may be noted that the attack occurred days before the preparation of upcoming cricket series of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), 2018, which is scheduled to be held at Gaddafi Stadium on March 20 and 21. Meanwhile, the Punjab police have prepared 'police mobile canteen vans' for the provision of "fresh and hot food" to police personnel during the forthcoming PSL matches in the provincial capital. Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) said this while reviewing security arrangements for the PSL matches. The IGP said the police mobile canteens should be checked through pilot projects during both the matches.
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