NDTV.com: Explosion in Islamabad kills 13

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Explosion in Islamabad kills 13

Press Trust of India

Tuesday, July 17, 2007, (Islamabad)

Thirteen people were killed and over 45 injured when a suicide bomber struck the venue of a lawyers' meeting due to be addressed by Pakistan's suspended Chief Justice Iftikar M Chaudhry on Tuesday evening.

The Chief Commissioner of Police in Islamabad, Khalid Pervez, told the media that it was a suicide bomb attack and it took place 100 metres outside the venue where a number of political parties had set up their booths to welcome Chaudhry.

The blast took place at around 20.30 hours (Pakistan time) when Chaudhry was being brought in a procession to the District Bar Association meeting venue. His convoy was 20 minutes away from the spot when the explosion occurred. He was immediately driven to safety.

Police officers said that there was a big explosion underneath the dais as hundreds of people gathered ahead of the meeting. The severed head of the suicide bomber has been recovered, they said.

Geo TV reported that the suicide bomber had apparently targeted the PPP enclosure outside the venue. Most of the dead and injured were believed to be PPP workers.

Spate of attacks

The meeting was organised by the District Bar Association at F-8 area, which is a busy locality of Islamabad.

The explosion near the PPP booth raised speculation whether the bomber was targeting the party because Bhutto was the only opposition leader to have welcomed the July 11 crackdown on Lal Masjid and announced her backing in this regard to President Pervez Musharraf.

About 103 people, including top Islamic cleric Abdul Rashid Ghazi, were killed in the military raid on Lal Masjid where radical madrasa students and militants were holed up.

The raid sparked a spate of suicide attacks in several tribal areas targeting Pakistani military convoys and installations.

After the blasts, the scene resembled that of a war zone. Television footage showed blood spattered around the site of the blast and several people lying motionless on the ground.

This is the second time that a meeting to be addressed by Chaudhry came under attack.

On May 12, 42 people were killed in violence in Karachi city when the suspended top judge had gone there to address a lawyers' convention. Chaudhry had to call off his visit.

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User Comments [ +Comment on the story ]

Posted By cssubramanian-Tuesday, July 17, 2007

pakistan encouraged the misguided elements to revolt against our country.it has now boomeranged on it.it should atleast stop such activities and should jointly fight this .

Posted By veernathdatt-Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Musharraf should have struck all such Madras(s) long time back when he had come to know the activities in those religious places. His survival now depends how he tackles these fundamentalists and Hard line religious leaders. He has to deal them firmly, even if it alianate few hard liners and some in the Army. For him it is a Do or Die situation.