Five Ahmadi family members arrested over terrorism charges in Badin

BADIN: Local police booked and arrested five members of an Ahmadi family in Badin over charges of allegedly planning an act of terrorism, it has been learnt.

SSP Badin Abdul Qayum Pitafi, while talking to Dawn on Thursday, claimed that an ugly terror bid was foiled when a bomb pre-maturely exploded inside a house in Qaidabad locality of Badin city late Wednesday night.

Following the blast, police raided the house and recovered explosives and also arrested five family members.

Pitafi said that a young boy was injured in explosions and received burn wounds. Police has reportedly shifted the boy to an undisclosed location for interrogation where he is also being treated for his wounds.

“It is a serious matter that a bomb was recovered from the district and the matter is being thoroughly investigated," Pitafi added.

Meanwhile, an uncle of the boy, while talking to Dawn refuted the claims made by police and said his nephew got injured “when some unidentified persons threw an explosive device on the roof where he was sitting”.

The victim’s uncle alleged that Badin police, instead of shifting the seriously injured boy to hospital for treatment, have kept him others on an undisclosed location.

"We informed the police soon after the incident, but they took away the injured boy and also arrested four other family members including the boy’s father from Islamkot town of Thar."

"We are Ahmadis, therefore we are being implicated in this false case which is part of a deep-rooted conspiracy. We feel very insecure here," claimed the boy’s uncle.

He said this is not the first time that their family was being targeted and that they have faced such hardships before as well.

SHO Model Police Station Badin Mohammad Ibrahim Jatoi informed Dawnthat an FIR has been registered against the suspects under Section 6/7 of the ATA and Explosives Act and investigations are underway.

"The matter is so serious and complicated therefore we are investigating it from different angles as some elements of the banned organisations are likely to be involved in this act."

Jatoi, however, rejected the claims of injured boy’s uncle and said that during the raids police recovered the explosive device, a detonator and other suspicious devices from the house.

"We have ample proof against them and the culprits would be dealt according to the law.”