Lashkar-i-Jhangvi carried out Marriott attack - Dawn Report

Lashkar-i-Jhangvi carried out Marriott attack

By Our Reporter

(Dawn News) ISLAMABAD, Dec 22: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik revealed on Monday that the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi organisation carried out the terrorist attack on the Marriott hotel in Islamabad.

Answering a question in the National Assembly, he said investigations into the Marriott attack had been completed.

He said that the truck used in the attack was loaded with ammunition in Jhang and it entered Islamabad via Rawat.

Two boys from Toba Tek Singh, who had been arrested, facilitated the terrorist act and charge-sheet against them had been submitted in court.

Around 60 people, including the Czech ambassador, at least two US marines and several other foreigners, were killed and more than 260 injured when a suicide bomber rammed the explosive-laden truck into the hotel’s gate in September.

Answering another question, the adviser said the Capital Security Police had taken several steps for the safety of foreigners and diplomatic missions.

After the Marriot blast, he said, separate hotline phones and fax machines had been installed in the office of DIG (Security) Islamabad Capital Territory to pass on emergency messages to diplomats and embassies.

Mr Malik said that new sliding gates had been set up at entrances and exits to the diplomatic area. Closed-circuit TV cameras have also been installed at entry points to monitor movement of vehicles and pedestrians.

He said that in addition to the Capital Security Police, the Frontier Constabulary personnel had been deployed in the diplomatic area.

He said that heavy vehicular traffic in the diplomatic area had been regulated and routes had been specified.

In reply to a question from Tariq Mehmood Bajwa, he said that 1,781 prohibited arms licences were issued from 2003 to 2007 by the ministry of interior with the approval of the then prime minister.

Adviser to the PM on Finance Shaukat Tarin, in a written reply, told the house that Pakistan had obtained a loan of $7.6 billion from the International Monetary Fund under a short-term standby arrangement with a tenure of 23 months.

He said the programme carried an interest rate of 3.5 per cent to 4.5 per cent depending on the amount of outstanding loan. The rate would be subject to adjustment depending on market conditions and the amount would be returned over a period of 3.5 years to 5 years.

APP adds: Mr Malik said that over the past five years, Pakistan did not get any financial assistance from the US for curbing terrorism.

He said that in 1,679 acts of terrorism, 2,159 people had been killed and 3,719 injured in 2006-07.

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Marriott attack not done by India

The adviser to the prime minister on interior, Mr Rehman Malik, revealed on Monday in Islamabad that the banned Lashkar-e Jhangvi organisation had carried out the terrorist attack on the Marriott hotel in Islamabad. After the completion of investigations in the case, it was found that the truck used in the attack was loaded with ammunition in Jhang, and it entered Islamabad via Rawat. Two boys from Toba Tek Singh, who had been arrested, had facilitated the terrorist act.

Analysts have named Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LJ) as the culprits in the Marriott case. Since both are on the payroll of Al Qaeda, the hotel tragedy can be attributed to Al Qaeda. Those who have roped in the Marriott as a convenient excuse to put the blame on India should now give up. More revelations about the Marriott are bound to emerge in the coming days and the government, despite its obfuscations, will have to take action against those responsible. The HUJI leader, Qari Saifullah Akhtar, whom Ms Benazir Bhutto had accused as her prospective assassin, goes scot-free. So do many others. (Daily Times, 24 Dec 2008)