Zee Media Bureau/Supriya Jha
Islamabad: Former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday narrowly escaped an assassination bid while being taken to his Chak Shahzad farmhouse, reports said.
An intense explosion was reported on Faizabad bridge just minutes before Musharraf`s convoy passed through the route.
Police said that General Musharraf was the target of the explosion which was planted under the bridge in a pipeline.
The blast was intense enough to cause a hole in the ground.
"Four kilograms of explosive device planted in a pipeline under a bridge exploded around 20 minutes before the former president was supposed to cross the spot," senior police official Liaqat Niazi said.
He added that Musharraf was then carried to his farmhouse via an alternate route.
Musharraf, was being taken to his farmhouse in Chak Shahzad from the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC in Rawalpindi) where he was admitted in January.
Musharraf was admitted in the AFIC on Jan 2 after he complained of heart problems while being taken to a special court set up for his treason trial.
Terror groups, including Taliban have issued life threats against Musharraf, who has survived several assassination bids.
Explosives were often recovered from the path used to carry Musharraf to the court for his treason trial.
The assassination attempt on Musharraf`s life comes just a couple of days after he was indicted over high-treason charges by a three-member Special Court.
Musharraf`s indictment verdict accused the former General of treason for suspending, subverting and abrogating the Constitution, imposing an emergency in the country in November 2007 and detaining judges of superior courts.
Rejecting all charges against him, Musharraf said, "I am being called a traitor, I have been chief of army staff for nine years and I have served this army for 45 years. I have fought two wars. Is it treason?”
Musharraf is currently under house arrest and his name is also on the exit control list, preventing him from travelling abroad.
Musharraf is the first military ruler in Pakistan`s history to be tried in court and his indictment is being seen as a setback to the country`s strong Armed Forces.
