ISLAMABAD, March 11: Panic gripped the federal capital following intelligence about presence of two cars suspected to be explosive-laden and a hoax call saying a bomb had been planted at the National Institute of Health (NIH), security sources said.

A bomb disposal expert said the emergency police received an anonymous call at about 8.35am saying a powerful bomb had been planted in the NIH building which would be detonated within 15 minutes.

The police and bomb disposal experts arrived at the NIH and evacuated the building.

After searching the building for about one hour, the bomb disposal experts declared the call a hoax.

Meanwhile, security agencies were desperately hunting for two suspicious vehicles who they suspected might be carrying explosives.

A senior police official said there was intelligence that two cars, whose registration numbers and makes were also identified, had been in Islamabad and might hit their target.