Pakistan’s National Security Says India Was Behind June Bomb Blast In Lahore

KARACHI, Pakistan — Last month’s fatal vehicle bombing in the eastern city of Lahore was orchestrated by an Indian intelligence agent, according to Pakistan’s national security advisor, who said Sunday that an inquiry revealed it was arranged by an Indian intelligence officer.

Moeed Yousuf, speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, said the investigation revealed that the individual is an Indian national who works for India’s RAW intelligence agency. He did not reveal the identity of the suspected mastermind.

“We identified the primary mastermind and handlers of this terrorist assault through forensic examination and electronic devices collected from these terrorists. And we have no reservations in notifying you that the key mastermind is a RAW member who resides in India and is a citizen of the country.” He stated that Pakistan will continue to work to uncover India’s worldwide funding of such assaults.

The blast occurred outside the home of anti-India militant leader Hafiz Saeed, who has a $10 million reward on his head and has been labeled a terrorist by the US Justice Department. India accuses Saeed of assisting in the planning of the fatal 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed almost 170 people on multiple occasions, including at the opulent Taj Hotel. He was uninjured in the strong blast that killed three people and injured 24 others in Lahore’s Johar Town area.

India and Pakistan accuse each other of carrying out covert assaults on the other’s territory on a regular basis. Saeed is a wanted man in India, and both India and the US have chastised Pakistan for failing to take harsher action against him.

All individuals engaged in the explosion, including an Afghan who lived in Pakistan and parked the explosives-laden car near the blast site, have been detained, according to Punjab police chief Inam Ghani.

Arindam Bagchi, a spokeswoman for India’s External Affairs Ministry, could not be reached for comment.