A special Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Peshawar dismissed the bail applications of three alleged facilitators of a foreign suicide bomber who carried out a devastating attack on a police van earlier this year, killing multiple law enforcement personnel.
ATC Judge Asad Ali conducted the hearing and ruled that the accused—identified as Irfan from Kohat, Noor Daraz from Karak, and Naqeeb from Quetta—will remain behind bars as investigations continue into their alleged involvement in one of the year’s most brazen terror attacks.
According to the prosecution, the suspects were directly linked to the banned militant outfit Islamic State (Daesh) and were instrumental in orchestrating the May 11 suicide bombing in the jurisdiction of Chamkani Police Station, where a suicide bomber targeted a police vehicle, resulting in the martyrdom of Sub-Inspector Laiq Zada and several other police officials.
The court was informed that the suicide attacker had traveled to Pakistan from Azerbaijan. The three accused allegedly facilitated his stay in Peshawar, arranged a Pakistani national identity card for him through fraudulent means, and prepared the logistical groundwork for the execution of the attack.
“Investigators have recovered key evidence, including documents and digital records, proving the suspects’ role in arranging the forged CNIC and harboring the foreign militant,” the prosecution submitted. “Their links with the Islamic State network have also been corroborated through intelligence sources and forensic material.”
The court, after reviewing the case file and hearing extensive arguments, concluded that the nature of the allegations, the gravity of the offense, and the evidence on record warranted the continued detention of the accused. The bail petitions were subsequently rejected.
The case underscores the persistent threat posed by transnational terror networks exploiting local facilitation routes, and highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to dismantle such cells operating within Pakista
n’s borders.
