THATTA, Feb 26: The entire up-country railway traffic was suspended for at least three hours on Tuesday as a precautionary measure following a hoax call that a bomb had been planted on the Super Express.

The Super Express bound for up-country was kept halted for several hours at the Braudabad railway station in Thatta District following the hoax call that a bomb had been planted in it.

The express, which left Karachi for Punjab at 12:15pm, was halted at the Braudabad station where it arrived at 1:45pm.

The passengers became panicky on hearing the news about the bomb.

It was learnt that someone called the railway control office at Karachi saying that there was a bomb on the Super Express which was bound to go off somewhere between Jhampir and Braudabad.

A bomb disposal squad from Karachi, a medical team from Thatta, the DDO, coordination, Thatta, the SP, Pakistan Railways, Kotri, and other officials rushed to the site.

The bomb disposal squad thoroughly searched the train but found no bomb in it. Finally, it was allowed to carry on its journey around 4:40pm. Till then the entire up-country railway traffic remained suspended. Later, the Quetta-bound Bolan Express was also thoroughly checked.

HOSTAGE: A landlord of Bannu town, Sain Bux Ghugho, reached home on Tuesday after 54 days in the captivity of dacoits.