A soldier stands guard at the school in Peshawar, where over 130 children were killed. (Associated Press)
A madrasa in Pakistan's Punjab province has expelled two boys whose father is an accused in the case of bombings at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel and uncle has been arrested for alleged involvement in the Peshawar school attack. The attack by Taliban at the army-run school last week left over 130 children dead.
Suhaib, 17 and Suhail, 10, had been pursuing Quoranic studies at the madrasa Abdullah Bin Abbas in Kamalia town, reported Pakistani daily the Dawn. Qari Ghulam Rasool of the madrasa said he was not aware that they were sons of Ashfaq Mohammad. "We came to know about their relations when their maternal uncle, Arshad, was arrested on Sunday," he said.
Arshad, brother-in-law of the boy's father, Ashfaq, was picked up for his alleged involvement and links with the perpetrators of Peshawar school massacre.
Ashfaq was allegedly behind the 2008 attack at Islamabad's Marriott Hotel. More than 50 people had died at the five-star hotel after militants rammed an explosive-laden truck there. Ashfaq is currently in Afghanistan, where he absconded after the attack at Marriott.
Arshad was arrested in 2008 by intelligence operatives seeking information about Ashfaq. Two years ago, Suhaib was arrested when he was going to Afghanistan to see him. He was released after six months of interrogation.
Arshad's mother Sughra Bibi, meanwhile, told reporters she could not even think that her son could be involved in the Peshawar school attack. "If it is proved that Arshad had any role in the school attack, I will never allow him to return to my house. I will hand over his son and daughter to people who have no children," she said.