PESHAWAR: Police investigators were clueless on Wednesday about the group behind the Tuesday suicide bombing outside a hotel in Peshawar after the denial of the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan about involvement in the terrorist activity.

However, bomb disposal experts said the suicide vest, the mechanical trigger system and use of high explosives indi-cated the involvement of a militant group operating in and around Peshawar.

Sources close to them said the explosives used in the blast were the ones, which were traditionally used by the Taliban.

`We have obtained the original photo of the alleged bomber and are trying to get the help of those having any information about it,` DSP Mushtaq Khan told Dawn.

He said the bomber seemed to have come via Qissa Khwani in the old part of the city and entered the area through a narrow street.

`He was alone and seemed to be about 18 years of age,` he said.Nine people were killed in the suicide blast.

A source in the Lady Reading Hospital said of the 61 injured people, 33 were under treatment at different wards, while two were in serious condition.

Meanwhile, workers of Imamia Student Organisation and Millat Jaffria on Wednesday held separate demonstrations on Sher Shah Suri Road shouting anti-government slogans for failure to protect public life and property.

During a news conference at Peshawar Press Club, the ISO leaders expressed grave concern the relentless incidents of targeted killing, and sectarian violence and demanded of the gov-ernment to carry out an operation against terrorist groups in Peshawar and ensure protection of public life and property.

Shia leader Jawad Haadi said the government and security agencies had failed to take stern action against the terrorists` organisations, which were involved in the massacre of the innocent people in Peshawar and elsewhere in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He said the Shia community apparently targeted by terrorist groups over the past many days in Peshawar but the law enforcement agencies were unable to control lawlessness.

Mr Haadi also condemned killing of two Shia leaders, including AllamaMoosvi and Sardar Ali Asghar, and said terrorists didn`t even spare mosques, imambargahs, bazaars and residential areas, targeted innocent people there.

`We demand appropriate steps for security and protection of lives and property. We will not tolerate any such incidents in future,` he said.

The Shia leader demanded of the government and security agencies to take stern action against terrorists to prevent more killings.

He said terrorist groups wanted to create rift among Shias and Sunnis but they won`t succeed in their designs.

Mr Haadi said terrorist groups were posing serious security threat to the country`s solidarity and therefore,they must be eliminated by a proper action.

He also urged the judiciary to take action against the terrorist organisations.

Also in the day, Qissa Khwani bazaar shopkeepers kept their shops down to mourn the death of the people in suicide bombing.

Our Correspondent from Parachinar adds that a complete shutter down strike was observed in the area on the occasion of the burial of seven people killed in Peshawar blasts.

Also, a public meeting was held to protest the killings.

Noted among the speakers were Allama Mohammad Ibrahim Mohammadi and Allama Hilal Hussain.