PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa caretaker Chief Minister Azam Khan on Tuesday formed the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the suicide attack in mosque at Police Lines in Peshawar.
He said the by-polls would be held in time despite the rise in terrorism tide in the province.
The announcement was made at a joint press conference by the chief minister and KP Inspector General of Police (IGP) Moazzam Jah Ansari a day after the brazen attack at a mosque in the Peshawar Police Lines – one of the fortified zones in the provincial capital.
The chief minister confirmed that 95 people had lost their lives, adding that a compensation package was being prepared for the victims of the terrorist attack. He also assured full support to the police chief, adding that the incident was “shocking for all of us”.
In a reply to a question over elections, CM Azam Khan said the recent terror attack had nothing to do with polls, adding that terror incidents were taking place much before the announcement of elections.
“My message to the people is to keep their spirits high. Such things are happening here for the last 40 years; this is not a new thing,” said Azam Khan.
Speaking on the occasion, the IGP said the JIT would be led by a DIG and it would include officials of other security agencies as well. He vowed that all preparators involved in the attack would be taken to the task.
He said investigation was being made into the security lapse as “the first question arises in the mind is that how the suicide bomber entered the Police Lines”. He said 10-12 kilogramme of explosive material was used in the attack. The shockwaves of the blast were so powerful that the roof of the mosque collapsed resulting in more damages.
IGP Ansari said a banned outfit retracted after claiming responsibility for the attack, adding that a militant organisation Jamaatul Ahraar could be behind the attack.
Read more: KP mourns as deaths from mosque suicide bombing hit 100
