PESHAWAR (TDI): The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police have arrested one of its constables in connection with facilitating a deadly suicide bombing at the Peshawar Lines mosque, which killed 84 people, mostly police officers.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Inspector General of Police (IG), Akhtar Hayat Gandapur, confirmed the arrest of Mohammad Wali on Tuesday, revealing that Wali, a former constable, had been detained on Monday in Peshawar’s Jamil Chowk area.
During interrogation, Wali confessed to playing a key role in the attack by sharing a map of the mosque, conducting reconnaissance, and escorting the suicide bomber to the compound.
Wali, who was affiliated with the banned terrorist group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, had met with its members, including spokesperson Mohammad Khurasani. He also revealed that in 2021, he was recruited by a man named “Junaid,” a Jamaat-ul-Ahrar recruiter based in Afghanistan.
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Wali travelled to Afghanistan to meet Junaid and received funds through the informal hundi-hawala system, amounting to Rs 200,000 for his involvement in terrorism. He also received a monthly salary of Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 from the group.
In addition to his role in the mosque attack, Wali admitted to participating in several other terrorist activities, including IED attacks on Warsak Road (2023-2024), a grenade attack in Ghulani Market (Dec 2023), and the 2022 murder of a Christian pastor in Peshawar.
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He also facilitated the murder of an Ahmadi man in Lahore (Feb 2024) and the killing of two police officers in March 2024. Police recovered two suicide vests during the raid.
KP’s police chief stressed the role of social media in radicalization, particularly in Khyber and southern districts. He emphasized that combating terrorism remains an ongoing challenge despite background checks for recruits and improved technologies for law enforcement.
