Pak-Iran border sealed to impede terrorists as Lahore martyrs buried

By: Mir Muhammad Ali

LAHORE, Pakistan: Thousands of mourners on Monday attended funeral of Hussainia Hall Kashmiriyan Mosque martyrs in Lahore as the Iran-Pakistan border has been sealed to prevent terrorists from crossing the border and the police in Balochistan put on high alert to arrest Multan bombing mastermind from a banned terrorist group while Pakistani top official said he would not rule out foreign involvement in the recent violence.

Addressing a news conference on Sunday, the district police officer Multan Sikandar Hayat announced the arrest of a terrorist for providing financial assistance to the terrorists.

Hayat said the police sought help from the Government of Balochistan to prevent Multan incident mastermind, who belong to a banned terrorist group, from crossing the border.

In another development, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed at a press conference on Sunday said there was no ban on religious and political gatherings and that only outlawed militant outfits were barred from holding public meetings.

The minister said people with vested interests were spreading disinformation to malign the government.

“Only outlawed militants groups working under new names have been barred from holding public meetings,” Rashid said.

He said Shias and Sunnis were living in peace and harmony but certain anti-Pakistan forces wanted to plunge the country into chaos. He would not rule out foreign involvement in the recent violence.

Meanwhile, police and intelligence agents detained about 70 people with links to banned extremist groups during raids late Sunday night in Multan and several nearby towns, an intelligence official based in Multan said Monday on condition of anonymity.

Forty of the arrests were made in Multan, he said.

On Sunday, more than 125 terrorists had been detained for questioning in connection with the Sialkot and Multan bombings and as part of efforts to stop more violence.

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