Bomb hoax near Pak parliament building

Islamabad: Pakistani authorities on Saturday went into a tizzy after they received a phone call about presence of a bomb near the parliament building here and another close to a five-star hotel in neighbouring Rawalpindi.

Bomb detection and disposable squad were called in and areas around the parliament building were thoroughly searched, an official said. No explosive material was recovered and the area was declared as clear, he said on the condition of anonymity.

A similar exercise was carried out in Rawalpindi where the only five-star hotel is located in a high-security zone where sensitive army installations are located. But no explosive were recovered. Police said the information was a hoax and the caller had been identified and will soon be arrested.

Pakistan has been battling insurgents for over a decade. So far more than 60,000 people have been killed in the fighting. At least 74 people were killed in a suicide bombing in a park on Easter Sunday in Lahore.

PTI