Musharraf survives assassination attempt as he returns home from hospital

Policemen inspect the site of a bomb explosion in Islamabad on April 3, 2014. The bomb was planted on Musharraf's route from an army hospital where he has been staying since January to his home on the outskirts of Islamabad. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: Former president Pervez Musharraf narrowly escaped an assassination attempt as a bomb went off shortly before his convoy was due to pass early Thursday, police said.

The former military ruler was on his way to Chak Shahzad farmhouse from the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology, where he has been staying since January 2, when the bomb went off.

Nobody was injured and there have so far been no claims of responsibility.

“Four kilogrammes of explosive material – planted in a pipeline under a bridge – exploded around 20 minutes before the former president was supposed to cross the spot,” senior police official Liaqat Niazi said.

The blast occurred at the Faizabad interchange, which lies at the boundary of the twin cities, and destroyed a footpath around two metres wide.

Niazi said the former president was then taken home via an alternative route.

Muhammad Naeem, a spokesman for the Islamabad police, confirmed the incident, saying a bomb disposal squad had cleared the area after the blast.

“Nobody was injured in the blast,” he said, adding Musharraf was the intended target.

On March 31, the Special Court had formally charged Musharraf for imposing emergency rule in the country in 2007. The former army chief had appeared before the three-judge bench and had rejected all charges against him.

Read about the five charges levelled against Musharraf here.

Explosives planted

This is the fifth time that explosive material was found from places close to either the former army chief’s accommodation or his travel route.

• On January 1, explosives with three electronic circuits and remote control were found on the route scheduled to be taken to Special Court by the former president. The police had said 1kg of explosives was planted near the Chak Shehzad traffic signal on Park Road.

•  On December 30, 2013 five packets each containing 0.5kg explosives were found near Musharraf’s farmhouse in the jurisdiction of the Bani Gala police station.

•  On December 24, the day Musharraf was to appear before a specially-constituted court that is hearing a treason trial against him, a five-kilo Improvised Explosive Device was found in a briefcase along the route the former dictator would have taken to reach the court. Musharraf failed to show up for that hearing citing security concerns. A detonator was also found in one of the packets, police said, citing the Bomb Disposal Squad which was called to the spot after police were alerted.

•  On April 23, 2013, an explosive-laden car was found outside the farmhouse. The police had claimed the car was meant to target the former president’s convoy on his return from an anti-terrorism court from Rawalpindi.