Bilour hints at foreign hand behind attack on sensitive areas.

PESHAWAR, November 14, 2009 (Balochistan Times): Senior Provincial Minister Bashir Bilour has ruled out involvement of internal forces in suicidal attacks on sensitive areas saying that foreign elements were involved in these saboteur acts. Talking to media men on the sight of the Khyber road blast on Saturday, Bashir Bilour said that the explosive material used in the attack on the intelligence agency was not indigenous and its samples have been sent to the laboratories for test. He said that local people were being used in terrorist attacks and confirmed the death of 13 people in the Khyber road blast whereas over 40 were injured. Bashir Bilour said that the explosion was so loud that window panes of far away buildings were smashed besides causing severe damages to the nearby buildings. Senior Provincial Minister said that a proposal for six months ban on the explosive material used for excavation of mineral and precious and semi-precious stones was being mulled over. He said that the contractors were allowed to use explosive material for mineral exploration, however, due to the prevailing law and order situation in the country the use of same would be banned for six months. Moreover, he went on to add that potash, sulfur and other material used in the explosives was easily available in open markets and therefore the government was considering over to ban it. Referring to the Khyber Road Blast, Bashir Bilour said that the explosion occurred early in the morning due to which the death toll was far less when compared to the magnitude of the explosive material used in the blast. He said that any delay in the blast would have caused far more casualties as the route was frequented by school busses and other people working in different offices. Bashir Bilour said that the government was working on comprehensive strategy to control the growing number of terrorists acts so as to throw cold water on the nefarious designs of the extremists. He said that security was further beefed up in the city following increase in the blasts and additional police forces were deployed at every check post to ensure peace and to stop the entry of terrorists inside the capital.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)