Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed revealed Thursday that the Punjab police is close to arresting the culprits of yesterday's blast in Johar Town, Lahore.

"The Punjab Police has achieved remarkable success in the Johar Town blast incident [investigation]," Rasheed said in a video message, adding that the law and enforcement agencies are very close to apprehending the perpetrators.

Rasheed said Pakistan's enemies are frustrated as the country had successfully defeated the coronavirus pandemic and brought about political and economic stability in the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

"People who want to spread chaos, mayhem, and want to bring Pakistan under pressure, [should know] that Pakistan will never succumb to pressure," he warned.

The federal minister also spoke about progress on the fencing of the Afghan border, saying it should be completed within the month. He described it as 86% done while fencing alongside the Iran border is 46% done.

Blast in Lahore:

An explosion was reported in Lahore Wednesday, leaving at least 3 dead and 23 people injured. The explosion took place near the banned JuD chief Hafiz Saeed's home. The explosion was reportedly so loud that the glass windows of nearby houses and buildings shattered. Meanwhile, the police say a 4 feet deep and 8 feet wide crater was created at the site of the blast.

Three people including a child lost their lives in the blast while 23 were injured. The injured were taken to Jinnah hospital where an emergency was declared.

Inspector General Punjab Inam Ghani dismissed rumors of Saeed's house being a target and said he believed it was the police who was targeted. "There is a police picket near the house of a high-value target, which is why the vehicle could not have gone near the house."

CTD makes arrests:

The Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on Wednesday said it had conducted several overnight raids in different cities of Punjab in connection to the blast.

As per media reports, several arrests have also been made and further investigations are underway. A First Information Report (FIR) was registered by CTD against three unidentified persons under Anti-Terrorism Act. The FIR includes 7ATA, 3/4 Explosives Act, 302, 324, 148/149, and other serious provisions.

Initial probe report:

According to the initial reports, 30 kg of explosive material — padded with ball bearings, nails, and other sharp items — was used by the militants in a "controlled and targeted" explosion. The probe report also suggests that the explosive material used was of a 'foreign nature'.

CTD and intelligence agencies have collected the evidence from the crime and the vehicle's parts have been preserved for further analysis. Investigative agencies have also started geo-fencing the area to help with the probe.