ISLAMABAD: A man, who was taken into custody after an abandoned bag was found from a mosque located near the venue of the now-cancelled PTI public gathering on August 21, was released after nothing suspicious was found in it.

Sources told Dawn that an unclaimed bag was found in a mosque adjacent to the venue of the public gathering - the day when the Chief Commissioner’s Office cancelled the NOC issued to the PTI.

On inquiry, it was revealed that the bag had been lying in the mosque since morning following which the mosque premises were gotten vacated and a bomb disposal squad called to the site.

A man was taken into custody from the venue after some people identified him as the bag’s owner, the police said, adding that after scanning the bag, the bomb disposal squad shifted it to a police installation, saying it needed to be scanned further.

During interrogation, the man was identified as Zulfikar Haider, who was a native of Lodhran, and a supporter of the PTI.

He had come from Lodhran to attend the public gathering and stayed at the mosque, however, when the police started arresting party activists he panicked and hid in a nearby area.

The police approached their counterparts in Lodhran to verify the man’s identify, however, when nothing illegal or suspicious was found against him, he was allowed to go.

His bag and other stuff, meanwhile, were confiscated by the police.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2024