Islamabad: Pakistani investigators probing the suicide bomb attack on President Pervez Musharraf have identified the militant network behind it and are on the verge of making a breakthrough in the case, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said today (Dec 27, 2003).

"The security agencies have identified the militant network behind the attack and were on the verge of breaking its back," Ahmad told local TV channels.

Ahmad said the network was "mixture" of local and foreign militants and the police had gone far deep into establishing the identity as well as busting the network and were on the verge of achieving a major breakthrough.

"The law enforcement agencies have found an important lead following the identification of the suicide attackers," Pakistan Interior Minister, Faisal Saleh Heyat, had said yesterday. "The head of one of the attackers was found undamaged, as a result of which he has been identified."

Hayat, in his interviews to the local media, said the recent attempts on Musharraf's life were not aimed at sabotaging peace initiative taken by Pakistan with India or the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit scheduled in Islamabad from January 4, 2004.

He said the attacks were in reaction to Musharraf's pragmatic stand on war against terrorism.

"Those who wanted to impose their own ideology in the country are obviously unhappy with the Government's policies," Heyat said.