On-duty cop identified as key facilitator of Jan 2023 KP Police Line suicide attack

The law enforcement agencies apprehended Muhammad Wali, the central figure behind the January 30, 2023, suicide attack at the Police Lines mosque, which claimed the lives of 101 people and injured 223 others.

Muhammad Wali, a constable in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police, was allegedly found to be part of a terror network operating within the police ranks. This arrest sheds light on Wali’s deep involvement with the militant group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which orchestrated multiple attacks in Pakistan.

Wali, a resident of Peshawar who joined the KP Police in 2019, reportedly made initial contact with a Jamaat-ul-Ahrar recruiter named Junaid in 2021. According to police sources, Wali was recruited and radicalized while in service, a disturbing example of extremism infiltrating law enforcement.

Trail of violence

After meeting Junaid in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Wali was introduced to commanders Salahuddin and Makram Khorasani and joined the terror outfit. He allegedly received funds and logistical support from Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and pledged allegiance to Mullah Yusuf, one of the group’s leaders. From that point, Wali became heavily involved in organizing and executing attacks within Pakistan.