Punjab police bust gang of terrorists: Cheema
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—The Punjab police have busted an eight-member gang of terrorists in Rawalpindi which has links with Waziristan and Al-Qaeda, Interior Ministry Spokesman Brig (R) Javed Iqbal Cheema said here Tuesday.
The police has recovered huge quantity of weapons, lap-tops, explosive material used in suicide attacks and other destructive weapons, he told the weekly media briefing.
Those arrested included Samiullah, Sheraz, Hassan Majeed, Abu Bakar, Zahid Mehmood, Muhammad Hassan, Ejaz Hassan and Muhammad Arslan, residents of different areas but all are Rawalpindi based. Cheema said the terrorists were not involved in suicideattacks that occurred in Rawalpindi or Terbela, however, “We have substantial evidence that they had planned terrorist activities inthe country,” he added.
He said the government has knowledge of the master-minds andperpetrators behind the terrorists activities, and the law enforcement agencies are homing on them. The law enforcement agencies were also homing on another groupof terrorists, also linked with Al-Qaeda, he said.
Earlier, the media persons lodged a protest before the Spokesman regarding violence against journalists on September 29 by law enforcement agencies personnel. Cheema strongly condemned the violence and said that an inquiry is underway into the incident and those involved would be brought to justice.
“We feel sorry on such incident. I assure on behalf of thegovernment that any one found responsible would have to face action.” He said a three-member inquiry committee led by AdditionalSecretary Interior Imtiaz Qazi is looking into the matter and it will present its report on October 10.
Referring to a suicide attack in Bannu on Monday, theSpokesman said that a male wearing “Bura” exploded himself off causing death of 15 people, injuring 32 others.
To a question about presence of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan,Cheema said that “no such evidence is available which suggests presence of Osama in the country.” Referring to the issue of passport, Cheema said the peoplewere facing problems due to deficiency of lamination papers, but the issue has resolved as the paper is available in abundance now and there is no more problem.