Teen says Taliban promised him a job

A 14-year-old boy arrested with five terror suspects who were allegedly plotting an attack on a five-star hotel to kill Americans has said that a Pakistani Taliban activist had lured him to this eastern city with the promise of a job.

"I was studying in a seminary in Peshawar. About seven months ago, (Taliban activist) Qari Abdul Basheer, who often visited our seminary, asked me whether I was interested in getting a job with a handsome salary in Lahore and I agreed," teenager Muhammad Mohiyuddin told the media.

"After arriving in Lahore, Basheer detained me in a house in Shahdara and wanted to use me as a suicide bomber," Mohiyuddin said.

The boy, who was paraded before the media along with the other suspects on Monday, pleaded his innocence and said he should get justice.

The Anti-Terrorism Squad claimed it had foiled a major terrorist plot by arresting the six suspects. Senior police officials said they were planning to target the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel to kill Americans and other foreign nationals. Police said they had seized 30 grenades, a suicide jacket and five detonators from the suspects.