New Delhi: A suicide bomber blew himself up in Pakistan’s capital city on Tuesday evening killing at least 15 persons and injuring nearly 40 others.
The explosion occurred at a meeting of Islamabad District Bar Association that was to be addressed by Pakistan's suspended and controversial chief justice Iftikar M Chaudhry.
Chief Commissioner of Police in Islamabad, Khalid
Pervez told reporters the attack took place 100 metres outside the venue - strategically close to the booth of Pakistan People's Party (PPP), headed by former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.
Several political parties had set up their enclosures to welcome Chaudhry at the meeting.
Soon after the explosion, Chaudhry was driven to a safe area.
Pakistan interior minister Aftab Sherpao confirmed to CNN-IBN it was a suicide attack meant to create a scare in the area.
Private news channel Geo TV reported the attack took place at 2030 hrs (Pakistan time) when Chaudhry was barely 20 minutes away from the venue and was being taken in a big procession by lawyers.
However, executive editor of Geo TV, Hamid Mir said creating fear was not the only reason behind the blast. "The idea was to target Pakistan People's Party," he said.
Television footage showed blood spattered around the scene of the blast and several people lying injured.
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.
(With PTI inputs)
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