July 02, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 27, 1429

MANSEHRA, July 1: An explosive device concealed in a hollow religious book went off in a hotel in Balakot on Monday, police said.

The explosion took place at a time when the Shan Sahaba Conference was in progress at a place at some distance from the hotel and, according to police, a leader of the Jamiat Ahle Sunnat who was present in the conference, was the target.

Police raided different places in Balakot, Hangrai and other areas after the incident to arrest three suspected members of a banned outfit, but failed to make any arrests.

Police sources said Maulana Shahzaman of Hangrai, Maulana Hafizur Rehman of Dara Shawal and another young man had come to the Ummer Hotel when the conference was in progress. The sources said the three persons placed the book containing the explosive device in a room of the hotel and went out to take tea. In the meantime, the explosive device went off, slightly damaging the walls of the hotel.

Police said the accused wanted to present the book to Maulana Hanif Qureshi, chief of the Jamiat-i-Ahle Sunnat, Rawalpindi division.

The district administration had banned the entry of Maulana Qureshi in Mansehra early this year following threats by some local clerics.

The sources said that after the incident, police and the hotel administration sealed the hotel and kept the incident secret to avert any panic or stampede at the conference.

Police registered an FIR against the alleged members of the banned outfit on behalf of Mohammad Saleem, the owner of the hotel.

Maulana Qudratullah Qadri, district chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan and leader of the Jamiat Ahle Sunnah, condemned the alleged plot to kill Maulana Qureshi and called upon the provincial government to investigate the matter.—Correspondent