Hoax bomb calls caused panic in Interior Ministry with forced evacuation of the Secretariat and residence of Federal Minister for Interior, but after thorough frisking both the buildings were cleared by Bomb Disposal Squad.
Some unknown caller made three calls to Interior Ministry saying that bombs were installed at the Interior Ministry Secretariat and residence of the Minister and shortly the bomb at office will detonate while the bomb at residence will detonate in the evening, sources in Interior Ministry said. Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik was present in the office when the calls spread panic in the Ministry and Secretariat was evacuated.
After receiving the call the R Block of the Pak-Secretariat and residence of Rehman Malik in Ministers' Enclave were evacuated and a thorough search was made to locate the bombs installed by terrorists, sources said. They said that after evacuation of two buildings contingents of Islamabad Police, Anti Terrorist Squad, Bomb Disposal Squad and other law enforcement agencies were called in to hold a clearance operation.
They took more than two hours in searching the two buildings and declared them clear from any explosive devices. After the buildings were declared clear Interior Minister and other officers and officials of the Ministry started routine work, sources said.
Later, Interior Minister, Rehman Malik termed it a cowardice act of misguided people saying that by making these threatening calls they would not force to divert the attention of the government from the operation against terrorists. He said that these hoax calls depicts that the terrorists have lost their ground and are now making false efforts to terrorize people.
These hoax calls would not help terrorists as the government is determined to continue operation against al Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. "We will continue operation against terrorists till last terrorist will die," the minister said.
Meanwhile, Islamabad Police sources revealed to Business Recorder that efforts are underway to chase the caller who made the hoax call to Interior Ministry. They said that Interior Minister has directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Islamabad Police to make all out efforts to chase the caller and bring him to task as soon as possible.