One policeman martyred, several injured in suicide blast in Islamabad’s I-10

At least one policeman was martyred and several others were injured in a suicide blast in Islamabad’s I-10 sector on Friday morning.

In a tweet, the Islamabad police said police officers were conducting snap-checking when they signalled a suspicious vehicle with a man and a woman aboard to stop.

Soon after the car stopped near the officers, the suicide bomber aboard the vehicle detonated himself, the police said. Due to this, Head Constable Adeel Hussain embraced martyrdom.

Television footage indicated the vehicle was wrecked.

After the blast was reported, the Islamabad inspector-general issued ordered a “security red alert” across the city. In a tweet, the Islamabad police said strict action will be taken against vehicles with “non-specimen” number plates.

The police said diversions had been placed for both sides of traffic at Service Road East of Sector I-10/4, and advised citizens to use Service Road West of Sector I-10/4 as an alternate.

Section 144 imposed

Meanwhile, the District Administration Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) imposed section 144 in the federal capital for a period of two weeks, with immediate effect.

According to a notification, District Magistrate ICT Irfan Nawaz Memon prohibited all kinds of public gatherings, corner meetings, and rallies at any public place in wake of the upcoming Local Government elections within the limits of district Islamabad by invoking Section 144 of CrPC.

The notification said the security in the federal capital had been beefed up after the recent threat alert by law enforcement agencies and a suicide attack on the police personnel in Islamabad earlier in the day.

“To provide immediate protection to public life and property, the directions thereinafter appearing are necessary to be issued,” said the notification.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast and sought a report from authorities. He said that due to the timely action of the law enforcement agencies, “the nefarious plan of terrorists to shed the blood of innocent people has been foiled”.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also condemned the blast and expressed grief over the martyrdom of the policeman.

He also paid tribute to the brave men of Islamabad police.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Islamabad was secured from a “big disaster” today.

“Pakistan’s salvation and prosperity lay only in freedom from terrorism,” she tweeted.