ISLAMABAD: A joint investigation of the Ashura and the Chehlum carnage in Karachi has been launched to bring the responsible to justice said Interior Minister Rehman Malik, on Monday.

“Foreign hand behind these heinous acts of terrorism could not be ruled out,” Malik said while talking to journalists here at the Parliament House. He condemned the attacks on innocent mourners’ bus and the Jinnah Hospital’s emergency ward on Friday last leaving over two dozen people killed and many others injured. The minister said that there could be possibility of the foreign involvement in the attacks. However, the details would be shared once joint probe of both the incidents was completed by the security experts.

Malik said that there was no more target killing in the port city and the peace had been ensured after hectic efforts on the part of the government. To a question, he said that the ruling alliance between Pakistan Peoples Party and other parties is still intact and all the sides were completely onboard on every issue.

About National University of Modern Languages (NUML) incident, the Interior Minister said that as a security measure the alma mater has been closed for three days. He informed the newsmen that the Registrar has apologized to the victim professor. In reply to a question, Malik hinted at organizing SAARC Interior Ministers Conference in March this year which was earlier postponed due to unavailability of Indian minister.