Shahzad is son of retired Air Force officer: Pak Army

The Pakistan Army on Wednesday said Faisal Shahzad, arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the failed bombing in New York's Times Square, is the son of a retired Air Vice Marshal.

"He comes from a well to do family and his father is a former Air Force officer," chief military spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas told NDTV.

He also doubted Pakistani Taliban's claim that it was behind the Times Square bombing plot, saying one has to look at its reach and capability for launching such an attack.

"Anybody can get up and claim anything. But one has to see the reach and the capability of the organisation whether it is capable of conducting such kinds of acts so far away in another country," Abbas said.

He said it is "very dicey and doubtful" whether Pakistani Taliban is capable of launching such attacks.

"In the past also, the Tehrik-e-Taliban has been claiming such kinds of attacks in the US and Europe, but later they proved out to be wrong, incorrect and false claims," he said.

Abbas said "one has to really see and establish" whether the claim has some kind of credibility in it or not, which could take a little time.

Asked whether the US has requested Pakistan's help in the case, he said he was not aware of any kind of requesting being made.

"We are probing it," he said.

Asked whether Pakistan suspected a larger plot, Abbas said he would not like to comment on speculation.
Shahzad who grew up in Pakistan but left for America at the age of 18.

In a video message on Sunday, the Pakistani Taliban said it carried out the attack. But, US officials doubted the claim.