<p>"I was studying in a seminary in Peshawar. About seven months ago, Taliban activist Qari Abdul Basheer, who often visited our seminary, asked me whether I was interested in getting a job with a handsome salary in Lahore and I agreed," teenager Muhammad Mohiyuddin told the media.<br /><br />"After arriving in Lahore, Basheer detained me in a house in Shahdara and wanted to use me as a suicide bomber," Mohiyuddin said. The boy, who was paraded before the media along with the other suspects on Monday, pleaded his innocence and said he should get justice.<br /><br />The Anti-Terrorism Squad claimed it had foiled a major terrorist plot by arresting the six suspects. Senior police officials said they were planning to target the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel to kill Americans and other foreign nationals.<br /><br />Police said they had seized 30 grenades, a suicide jacket and five detonators from the suspects. "The suspects are associated with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. They planned to target Americans living in the Pearl Continental Hotel," SSP (Investigation) Zulifqar Hameed said. <br /><br />Qari Basheer was also associated with Afghan's militant commander Nazir's group. "He is an expert in making suicide jackets and explosive devices," Hameed said. Basheer, who was a prayer leader in a mosque at Jamrud in the Khyber tribal region, had fought NATO forces in Afghanistan, police said.<br /><br /> "Commander Nazir sent explosives concealed in narcotics to notorious drug peddler Sakhi Shah of Green Town in Lahore," Hameed said. One of the arrested men, Dilawer Saeed, was a close associate of Sakhi Shah, he added. </p>
<p>"I was studying in a seminary in Peshawar. About seven months ago, Taliban activist Qari Abdul Basheer, who often visited our seminary, asked me whether I was interested in getting a job with a handsome salary in Lahore and I agreed," teenager Muhammad Mohiyuddin told the media.<br /><br />"After arriving in Lahore, Basheer detained me in a house in Shahdara and wanted to use me as a suicide bomber," Mohiyuddin said. The boy, who was paraded before the media along with the other suspects on Monday, pleaded his innocence and said he should get justice.<br /><br />The Anti-Terrorism Squad claimed it had foiled a major terrorist plot by arresting the six suspects. Senior police officials said they were planning to target the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel to kill Americans and other foreign nationals.<br /><br />Police said they had seized 30 grenades, a suicide jacket and five detonators from the suspects. "The suspects are associated with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan. They planned to target Americans living in the Pearl Continental Hotel," SSP (Investigation) Zulifqar Hameed said. <br /><br />Qari Basheer was also associated with Afghan's militant commander Nazir's group. "He is an expert in making suicide jackets and explosive devices," Hameed said. Basheer, who was a prayer leader in a mosque at Jamrud in the Khyber tribal region, had fought NATO forces in Afghanistan, police said.<br /><br /> "Commander Nazir sent explosives concealed in narcotics to notorious drug peddler Sakhi Shah of Green Town in Lahore," Hameed said. One of the arrested men, Dilawer Saeed, was a close associate of Sakhi Shah, he added. </p>