RAWALPINDI, Oct 17: Panic gripped the staff of International Gateway Exchange, Satellite Town, on Thursday, after police and bomb disposal arrived at the PTCL complex and took five parcels into custody on suspicion of containing explosive material.

The move came after a senior Rawalpindi official telephoned the PTCL authorities and asked them not to open the parcels received from Karachi without disclosing any reason. However, no explosive material or device was found in the parcels.

The police said strict security measures had been adopted since Wednesday’s parcel blasts in two police stations and a government building in Karachi, which left at least eight people injured.

The security at the police offices in Rawalpindi has also been tightened in the wake of the Karachi incident.