-Investigators gathered undeniable proofs of involvement in Lahore car blast
-NSA Dr. Moeed says mastermind behind Johar Town blast is an Indian citizen, associated with RAW
-FM regrets int’l community’s inaction despite evidence provided against India
-Says Pakistan shared solid evidences of Indian terrorist activities
-Islamabad expects FATF to take action
By Asghar Ali Mubarak
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on National Security Moeed Yusuf on Sunday briefed the nation on intelligence gathered on the blast that took place in Lahore’s Johar Town, saying that the main mastermind behind the attack is an Indian citizen and has clear links with RAW.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Yusuf who began in Urdu, also spoke in English at the end, to ensure that the international community has a clear idea of the findings. “I want to make sure that our message is heard very clearly [regarding] this particular incident on the 23rd of June in Lahore. We have concrete evidence and intelligence, including financial and telephone records that point to direct Indian sponsorship of these terrorists.
“Through forensic analysis, electronic equipment which has been recovered from these terrorists, we have identified the main mastermind and the handlers of this terrorist attack and we have absolutely no doubt or reservation in informing you that the main mastermind belongs to RAW, the Indian intelligence agency, is an Indian national, and is based in India,” he said. Yusuf said that he would like to remind everyone that “Indian use of territory and people of third countries, which actually embarrasses other countries, is not new”.
“We have been constantly reminding the world of Indian actions, including a detailed dossier that was put out last November with details, minute details of finances, of action, of support coming from India,” said the national security adviser.
He drew attention to the recent report by EU DisinfoLab, an international reputed organisation, which provides a detailed account of how “hundreds and thousands of fake outlets were being used to malign Pakistan, to spread misinformation about Pakistan, and to hide what is actually a clear terrorist sponsorship by a state against another state in our region”.
Yusuf said that “very unusually” there is also evidence of “thousands of attempts of cyber attacks against our critical investigative infrastructure right after this attack on the 23rd in Lahore”.
“These attacks and the number and the sophistication in some cases leaves no doubt of state sponsorship and state linkage in this case.” He said that Pakistan’s cybersecurity was strong enough to thwart the attempts but asked why the attacks took place, before going on to provide an answer.
“They were being conducted because our enemies wanted to buy time to deflect attention and to avoid the apprehending and capture of these terrorists that we managed to do,” said the national security adviser. Yusuf also pointed out the “drama” of mysterious drones flying in the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir territory.
“What was the logic, is now very clear, and again with confidence we can put it out, that was a deflection tactic trying to divert attention of the world from the fact and they knew at that time we had not only apprehended culprits but we knew exactly what had been done behind the scenes and who was behind it.”
The adviser said that the main executor, Eid Gul, has an Afghan origin and was living in Pakistan. He said that Pakistan has constantly been flagging for the world the concern that “millions of law abiding Afghan refugees are given a bad name and Pakistan is blamed when these actors go and hide in these refugee settlements and then Pakistan is questioned on why one or two or five people who were miscreants, who were terrorists could not be apprehended”. Yusuf said that Pakistan reminds the world “of their duty to find a way for a dignified return of Afghan refugees and then questions may be asked”.
“Till then, this is a very good example of the complication when something like this occurs,” he said. Yusuf said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has instructed his team “to use all possible legal and political means to get to the people outside Pakistan who are part of this international terrorist network”.
“We will therefore be sharing all evidence with the international community and exposing the nefarious and real face of a state in our neighbourhood that has constantly sponsored terrorism against our innocent civilians.” The adviser called upon the international community to play its part saying it is “high time” it “stop turning a blind eye and play a constructive and the legally binding role for the safety of innocent Pakistanis if they are really serious about peace and stability in the region”.
IGP Punjab’s briefing on the nature of the attack:Prior to Yusuf’s briefing, Inspector General of Police Inam Ghani provided an account of the events leading up to the blast. Ghani noted that the blast occurred at 11:09am on June 23 in Block E of Johar Town and a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) was used. As a result of the explosion, three citizens were killed and 22 were injured, including two policemen.
The explosion also destroyed 12 cars and seven houses. He said that the police’s Counter Terrorism Department was immediately deployed to the site and it quickly cordoned off the area and established an operational base. “Punjab’s CTD has long been working on counter terrorism and is at that stage of maturity where it can very quickly and capably connect the dots. As a result of this, not only did they unearth the entire plan by the terrorists within 16 hours of the incident, but also identified the names of all those involved.”
He then proceeded to point to a chart which showed the terrorist network involved in the attack. IG Ghani said that the boxes in red indicate those people outside of Pakistan who financed, planned and thought out the whole attack. The ones in yellow are those who executed the plan in Pakistan, he said. Among those, speaking of Peter Paul, he said that the 56-year-old is a resident of Karachi. “He has spent most of his time abroad. He even ran a three-star hotel and arranged cabaret (form of theatrical entertainment) there,” said Ghani.
“He also did some steel works for a while he is the linchpin that connects the operation in Pakistan to the actors abroad,” said the police chief. IG Ghani said that when Paul was issued instructions, he chose a car which was snatched in 2010 and was found in 2011 with a tampered engine, following which it changed two to three more hands. It was then on superdari (released to owner by court pending trial).
“So it was the ideal car for such conditions. Even if it was used throughout the country, there were genuine superdari documents. So he sought such a vehicle and the people through whom he got to the vehicle, are also known to us,” he said. The Punjab police chief said that work on the car’s engine was done and then it was given test runs so it does not experience a glitch at the last minute.
He said details of all the financing, the telephone calls, and WhatsApp calls were gathered by the police. IG Ghani said that the car was handed over to Eid Gul, the executor of the attack. He gave the car a dry run in Lahore and then fixed the explosives onto it. “He had specifics of where to go, where to park the car.”
On the 21st, there was no explosive material on the car, but he carried out a reconnaissance of the area to ascertain all the entry and exit points, said Ghani.
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi Sunday said that they had already shared solid evidences of Indian state sponsor terrorism inside Pakistan with the international community, which was, once again, vindicated after its involvement in Johar Town, Lahore, terrorist blast.
In a press statement, the foreign minister expressed the confidence that Financial Action Task Force (FATF) would take action against India after evaluating these vital evidences.
He said now, they have irrefutable evidences of Indian terror financing. “Is not a responsibility of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to hold India accountable for its terror financing? If any action is not taken, then it will show dual standards,” the minister maintained while posing a question.
The foreign minister said that it was their right to raise voice against such double standards. If FATF did not take any notice of India’s financing of terrorism, then it would appear that the forum was a political forum and not a technical one.
Qureshi lauded efforts of the investigation agencies, counter terrorism department, agencies and Punjab police for showing their professionalism in unearthing the characters involved in the heinous Johar Town blast.
He said that he along with the National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf had held a presser some time back, in which they had shared their concerns with the world community.
The world was provided with evidences over Indian training of terrorists and supply of weapons, besides its terror financing, he added.
Qureshi said they had sent dossier of evidences to the United Nations, ambassadors of P-5 countries, diplomatic community and media. If the earlier evidences were taken seriously by them, terror incidents like the one in Johar Town, Lahore and several other terrorist acts in Balochistan would not have taken place, taking toll of precious human lives, he added.
The foreign minister also reiterated that Pakistan had taken steps against money laundering and terror financing through effective legislation as in the past, the national resources were plundered and laundered outside the country.
