Handler of Lahore suicide bomber arrested: Punjab CM

The Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab province today claimed to have arrested a handler who had brought an Afghan terrorist at Lahore's Mall Road where he blew himself up last Monday killing 14 people, mostly police officers.
For the first time, Shahbaz Sharif, younger brother of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, alleged that Afghanistan's land is being used for terrorism in Pakistan as terrorists are coming here from across the western border.
"A Pakistani national of tribal area (Bajaur Agency) Anwarul Haq brought the Afghan terrorist on a motorcycle to the Mall Road Lahore where a protest demonstration was underway on last Monday and blew himself up," Shahbaz Sharif told a news conference here.

He said police have arrested those involved in the Lahore blast including its handler and his accomplices.
Without naming Afghanistan-based banned Jamaat-ul-Ahrar he said: "A terrorist group based in Afghanistan has carried out this attack. The planing of the Lahore attack was made in Afghanistan and was facilitated by some Pakistanis. I will speak to PM Nawaz to speak to his Afghan counterpart."
Punjab police have detained more than 100 suspects into custody, mostly Afghans, after the Lahore attack, which killed six security men including Lahore Traffic Police chief Capt (R) AhmedMobeen and Senior Superintendent Police Zahid Gondal.

Shahbaz said: "Afghans living in Pakistan should not let black sheep hide in their ranks and inform police in this regard otherwise strict action will be taken against them."

The chief minister further said that some six terrorists (of Jamaat-ul-Ahrar) involved in the bombing at Lahore's Gulshan Iqbal Park last year on the occasion of Easter, have recently been killed during a shootout with Crime Investigation Department of Punjab police.
More than 70 people were killed in the attack last year.
A video clip was also run during the press conference showing how the handler dropped the suicide bomber on the Mall Road who reached the police officers busy negotiating with the protesting chemists and blew himself up.
Jamaat-ul-Ahrar had claimed the responsibility of the Lahore attack.
Founded in August 2014 by a former Tahreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) leader, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar had staged several attacks in Pakistan targeting civilians, religious minorities, military personnel and law enforcement agencies.