Police claim to foil plot to attack Bilawal, later retract

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Press Trust of India Karachi
Last Updated : Feb 21 2014 | 1:30 AM IST
Police today claimed to have unearthed a plot to launch a suicide bomb attack on PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari but later clarified that the plan was meant to kill a senior police official.
Police first claimed that it had uncovered a plot to kill Bilawal, Pakistan's Peoples Party leader, who tweeted in response to the news that he would not be scared by such threats.
He stated that life was in the hands of God and he firmly believed in this fact.
Hours later CID investigating officer Mazhar Mashwani came on television to state that the attack was planned to kill senior police official Shafiq Tanoli.
The confusion came to light after CID police carried out raids in Mauripur and Mangopir and seized two vehicles fitted with explosives.
According to the bomb disposal squad, one van had 100 kilogrammes of explosives fitted into it while the other had 50 kilogrammes of explosives.
The CID police later carried out more raids in which six suspected militants were arrested, including two key members of the Tehrik-e-Taliban and a 14-year old boy.
Police said the teenager was being prepared to carry out the suicide attack.
Some media reports, however, still maintained that one of the two arrested TTP members, Faridullah Mehsud, is said to have confessed to a plan to attack Bilawal.
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First Published: Feb 21 2014 | 1:30 AM IST

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