LAHORE, Feb 7: Panic gripped two adjacent busy commercial centres situated on Gulberg’s Main Boulevard on Saturday after a caller claimed some explosive devices had been fitted inside the buildings, police said.

An unidentified man reportedly called the area police claiming that bombs had been planted in the Pace shopping mall and Hafeez Centre which could go off anytime.

Following the call, personnel of police and bomb disposal squad rushed to the spot and got the two buildings evacuated. The BDS personnel conducted a through search in the multi-storey buildings and cleared these after about two hours.

Hundreds of people, who came out of the buildings in confusion and gathered on the road, caused traffic congestion on the Main Boulevard.

A Gulberg police official told Dawn the buildings were cleared for routine business after the search.

He said a case was being registered against unidentified hoaxer.