When television channels, quoting the Pakistani media, beamed the news that alleged Hyderabad blasts mastermind Shahid alias Bilal was killed in a shootout in Karachi, Abdul Wahed wasn’t sure whether to believe the reports of his son’s death.Speaking to reporters who were gathered outside his house, he said no Government agency has informed him about his son’s reported death. Denying Bilal’s role in the August 25 blasts, he told reporters, “I have said repeatedly that Shahid cannot carry out bomb blasts. This is against our religion. As far as his death in Pakistan is concerned, I have absolutely no information. How can I know what is happening in a far-off country?” said Wahed.Telugu TV news channels have been beaming reports quoting the Pakistani media that Bilal has been killed in a shootout in Karachi. However, Andhra Pradesh police chief M A Basith said on Thursday that there is no confirmation about Bilal’s death. “We have no information about it,” he said.Wahed alleged that the police implicated Bilal in the case. “Our family is suffering everyday. In the name of terrorism, the police is implicating innocent youths. Is there any proof against Shahid?” he said, restraining his tears.He said his other son, Mohammed Abdul Majid, was also whisked away by the police, days after the twin blasts. “How many times will I have to prove my family’s innocence?” he asked.On whether Shahid called him after leaving the house on the night of January 8, 2004, Wahed shot back, “I have clarified this many times. He has never ever called me. Even if he is dead, who is going to inform me?”Security agencies have been on the trail of Bilal, a resident of Moosarambagh in Hyderabad, since 2003. He is believed to have links with several militant groups, including the Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami (HuJI).Bilal’s name cropped up during investigations into several terrorist strikes, including a suicide attack on the Police Commissioner’s task force office in 2005, the blast in the Mecca Masjid and the recent twin bombings.
