ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: The rocket mystery became more complicated on Saturday when two live rockets were found near the Inter-Services Intelligence headquarters on the Kashmir Highway, a route Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was scheduled to use on Saturday.
This is the third incident of recovery of rockets near strict security zones within four days. In all the incidents, 107mm rockets attached with mobile phones were found.
After the third recovery, a major security alert was launched in Islamabad. However, the authorities are still in the dark and refuse to comment on the phenomenon.
Islamabad and neighbouring Rawalpindi are on permanent alert since this week’s explosion in Ayub Park near President Gen Pervez Musharraf’s camp office and recovery of two live rockets near the presidency.
Saturday’ rockets were spotted at the green belt at around 8:30am by grass cutters of the Capital Development Authority, who informed police.
A heavy contingent of police, military and bomb disposal squad personnel immediately rushed to the spot. They cordoned off the area, diverted vehicular traffic, collected the rockets and shifted them to a safe house.
The law enforcement agencies also recovered a mobile subscriber identity module (SIM) from the mobile phone which was collected by an intelligence agency.
About 2,000 security personnel combed the green belt to search more explosives material but they did not find any.
There were rumours about the presence of another rocket somewhere near the Convention Center on late Saturday.
The rocket discovery put the Islamabad police in a dilemma on what to say about it as officials came up with contradicting statements.
Initially, Islamabad IG Chaudhry Iftikhar claimed that it was a mock exercise carried out by police to check efficiency of the force.
After some time, the IG withdrew the statement.
Later, a press release issued by the Islamabad police acknowledged the rocket recovery.
Sources said the IG had issued the first statement on the directives of a senior intelligence official and then changed the version on the directive of the same official.
