Blast averted at Pak. airport

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, OCT. 20 A major disaster was averted today thanks to timely detection of a time bomb inside the VIP lounge of Islamabad's International Airport. An unidentified person left behind the bomb in a briefcase in the lounge. The bomb disposal squad brought the briefcase out and threw it into a bin outside the car parking lot where it exploded.

There were no reports of injuries but a few cars in the vicinity were damaged. Had the bomb gone off in the lounge, it could have resulted in severe damage and casualties. The incident has come at a juncture when the Musharraf Government is engaged in tackling the hardliners opposed to its policy of cooperation with the U.S.-led coalition against the Taliban and Osama bi Laden. It coincided with the launch of ground operations by the U.S. allies in Afghanistan.

Security in Pakistan, in general, and Islamabad, in particular, has been stepped up since the beginning of U.S.-led air strikes in Afghanistan.

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