KARACHI:
Significant progress has been made in connection with the investigation into the suicide attack on the van of Chinese teachers at the University of Karachi as the police on Wednesday detained a suspect, officials said.
A shuttle van of the Confucius Institute of Karachi University was hit by a suicide bomber a day earlier, leaving three Chinese teachers and a Pakistani dead.
Police interviewed over a dozen people during raids in various areas of Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Safura Chowrangi, Gulshan-e-Hadid and Old City Area and detained a suspect named Bebgar Imdad, an official told The Express Tribune while requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media.
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Bebgar was detained by investigators with the help of a mobile phone link, prompting further investigations into the suicide bombing.
Sources said that the process of geo-fencing of the crime scene is also underway and in the meanwhile suspicious mobile phone numbers are being shortlisted.
Sources further said that more information is being gathered about the social media account of female suicide bomber Shari Hayat Baloch alias Barmash.
Meanwhile, the bodies of those killed in the blast will not be handed over to their heirs for about ten days.
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The DNA samples have been sent from Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) to Karachi University HEJ Forensic Laboratory for identification of the bodies.
According to Additional Police Surgeon JPMC Dr Samia, the bodies of those killed at Karachi University were transferred from Abbasi Shaheed Hospital to the hospital at 5 o’clock on Tuesday on the advice of the health secretary.
She said that all four bodies were completely burnt, making it impossible to identify them. However, she added, the bomber’s hair and two legs were found at the scene.
She said that the reason for the delay in identifying the bodies is the unavailability of DNA samples from the families. However, the DNA of the Pakistani driver’s family is being obtained. Dr Samia said that there are no DNA samples from the families of Chinese nationals.
According to sources, efforts are being made to obtain DNA samples from items used by Chinese nationals. It is expected that toothbrushes, razors and other items that were in use by Chinese nationals will be useful to obtain DNA.
After the DNA samples are verified, they added, the bodies will be handed over to the next of kin. The process takes about 10 days.
With additional input from Dua Abbas.
