Pakistan confirms arrest of 2002 Bali bombing suspect

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Thursday confirmed the arrest of Umar Patek, suspected of playing a key role in the deadly 2002 Bali bombings in Indonesia.

The Foreign Office spokesperson, Tehmina Janjua, confirmed at a press conference that an Indonesian national suspected to be involved in the Bali bombings has been arrested.

"Counselor access would be given to the Indonesian High Commission and it is for them to identify the person," she said when asked about his arrest reports. She did not offer more comments.

Nearly 202 people, many of them Australians, were killed and 240 others were injured in the Bali attacks in 2002.

Pakistani security officials, requesting not to be identified, had earlier confirmed the arrest of the bomber and had described the arrest of Patek as very important in the country's campaign against the foreign terror suspects.

An official said on Wednesday that Patek, who is believed to be also linked to series of other attacks in Indonesia, was captured in Pakistan in the first week of this month. The official evaded a question when asked where the al-Qaeda-linked man was arrested.

The official said a team of Indonesian investigators was scheduled to arrive in Pakistan to confirm if the man is Patek, the most wanted man in Indonesia. He refused to offer comment as to where the Indonesian suspect was taken into custody. Indonesia has not yet officially confirmed the arrest.

The Pakistani security official said that several other countries, who had lost nationals in the Bali bombings, are also happy over the arrest and they may also approach Pakistan for access.

"We will give access to the Indonesian team," he said, adding that the government has not yet decided to hand over the suspect to Indonesia.

"Pakistani agencies are interrogating him to ask him about his activities and his possible links with Pakistani extremist groups, " the official said.

The official said Pakistan will have close interaction with the countries whose people were killed in t! he Bali attacks as part of the country's policy to share information with other countries.

Patek belongs to militant group Jemaah Islamiah, whose arrest has also raised question as to how he sneaked into Pakistan after the deadliest attacks.