Pakistan detains several over rockets in capital

ISLAMABAD, Oct 6 (Reuters) Pakistani security agencies have detained a number of people for interrogation in a foiled bid to fire rockets in the vicinity of the parliament, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said today.

The police defused two rockets attached to mobile phones near parliament house in the capital Islamabad yesterday, the morning after a blast in a park close to President Pervez Musharraf's residence in nearby Rawalpindi.

''We have lot of people being interrogated and the process is ongoing,'' Prime Minister Aziz told Reuters.

Mr Aziz said it would be premature to say who was behind the attempt and who was their target.

''It is premature...these are very events which need to be thoroughly investigated before we give any tangibles.'' The rockets were found in a patch of green across a six-lane road from parliament and main government buildings.

Just behind the parliament are the official residences of the president and prime minister.

A senior government official, however, said the rockets were not target-specific. ''The devices were inaccurate and crude and they could be fired remotely as well as physically,'' he added.

On Wednesday night, a small explosive device exploded in a park near President Musharraf's army residence in the garrison town of Rawalpindi, adjoining Islamabad.

The military said the blast in the Rawalpindi park was unrelated to President Musharraf or his military residence, Army House.

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

REUTERS SHB BST2003