Blast near Pakistani president's residence

Islamabad, Oct 5: A blast was heard in a park near Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's army residence in the city of Rawalpindi, Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said today.

''Police will give a statement, but nothing is related to the president or Army House,'' said military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan.

Musharraf, whose cooperation with the United States over its war against terrorism put him at the top of an al Qaeda hit list, survived two assassination attempts in December 2003.

He took power in 1999 when the military staged a bloodless coup.

After years of being snubbed by major democracies round the world, Musharraf was propelled to the front of the world stage by the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Washington persuaded Musharraf to help a US-led invasion force topple the ruling Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan for harbouring al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden.

Reuters