RAWALPINDI: Hotel bomb hoax triggers security alert
By Mohammad Asghar
RAWALPINDI, Dec 10: Police launched a security sweep in Islamabad following a bomb hoax and a security breach at a five- star hotel near the Diplomatic Enclave early on Friday morning.
According to police sources, a constable, who was a wireless/telephone operator of a senior police officer, received an anonymous call at 1:40am, intimating him that a bomb had been planted at the hotel's lawn.
The constable informed the emergency police as well as the bomb disposal experts. Senior Superintendent of Police Liaquat Ali Khan, additional SSP and SHO of Secretariat Police Station also rushed to the hotel, where several foreign delegates were staying, and started the search operation.
A police officer said no explosive was found during the search, therefore, the call turned out to be a hoax. The additional SSP, Mehboob Aslam, said: "It was one of our constable's rumour which caused confusion. However, it was not a bomb threat." But he confirmed that a 'bomb search' had been carried out following the call.
In another incident, a car rider forcibly tried to enter the hotel premises in the early hours of Friday, police said. The car driver, who escaped towards Murree after hitting the hotel gate with his car, was chased by the police and intercepted at Bhara Kahu.
When asked about the two incidents that seemed to be "security breach", the additional SSP said: "A drunk man, identified as Zaman Ahmed, had attempted to force his way into the hotel, but he was stopped by security guards. Later, he fled in his car and broke a police barrier at Bhara Kahu, but was overpowered by the police."
The police arrested the accused and registered a case against him on charges of careless driving and damaging police property. When asked if the accused was drunk, SHO Bhara Kahu refuted the additional SSP's claim and said: "The man was not drunk when caught by the police.
He was mentally sick and had been treated in the past." Both the incidents, which happened within a span of 12 hours, made the law-enforcement agencies to review security arrangements in the heavily guarded federal capital.
