There has been a blast in Rawalpindi - Saddar. It happened in front of NADRA office at Mall Road, opposite Mall Plaza. There has been reports of casualties and many injured. As per GEO TV, a vehicle loaded with gun-powder collided with another vehicle which caused the blast.

Three persons including Lt. General Mushtaq Baig (Army Medical Corps), his driver and guard died in the blast.

Gen. Mushtaq was principal of Army Medical College, Rawalpindi.

It seems the blast was targeted on General’s car.

[ GEO | BBC ]

There is a major search operation going on in Rawalpindi and Islamabad areas right now. About 80 to 100 houses have been searched in Rawal town, near Rawal Lake, Islamabad and adjacent areas. Cable has taken off air in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. No further details, up till now, about what kind of search it is. Please stay in your houses and don’t do something which may arise authority’s suspicion on you.

These are the images we do not want to see in our cities.. Another suicide bomb attack on our military in R.A. Bazaar area this morning. The mindless violence needs to stop - and that means the Army campaign needs to stop as well.
When the govt talks of extending the “writ” to all areas of Pakistan they need to realise that the “writ” is only going to be obeyed by every Pakistani if the Govt carries out its duties to provide Justice, basic needs and prosperity to all its citizens, only then can they have the excuse of using armed force - for too long those who are taking up arms against the govt have been neglected of those basic rights. Right now the only Government service the people of NWFP and tribal belt are seeing is shells, cobra gunships and Predator drones. No government can hope to quell an armed resistance if they dont extend the Justice and basic needs to all its people. If this cycle of violence carries on then we are going to kiss goodbye to NWPF and probably Balochistan as well - we cant afford for that to happen.

Fuel stations in F-10 and F-11 have opened temporarily under police protection, and multitudes of cars are currently lined up along the roadsides to fill up on petrol and CNG. I’m not aware whether any stations in other sectors are also open right now, but the ones in F-10 and F-11 are currently running. The lines are impossibly long though, so if you need to refuel (and you probably do), you’ll need to be very patient and also prepared for the possibility that the fuel supply runs out before you reach your turn - which is why most people I know aren’t even bothering to venture out there and join the lines. But I say give it a go. Take a book, CD, or a friend with you, to help you wait. The situation is still rather uncertain and we can’t really predict when the city will come back to life again.

Stay safe, everyone.

Late last night on CNN, this footage was shown. Three shots were fired by the Benazir’s assassin from what appears to be a handgun (note how the shooter/suicide bomber was quite literally perched up onto the back of Bhutto’s SUV):

For Video & Text Thanks to The Insider Brief.

The Pakistani Spectator shares with us the transcript of Baitullah Mehsud’s alleged telephonic conversation. I’m pasting the discussion below as well.

But the debate continues: How she really died and who killed her?
(more…)

Unconfirmed reports say Benazir Bhutto is killed after a suicide Bombing attack on PPP’s campaign rally in Liaqat bagh this evening.

PPP spokesman Farahtullah Babar said Ms Bhutto was only some 50 metres away when the bomb exploded, the Associated Press news agency reports. “She had just crossed the gate when we heard a deafening sound.” She was said to be leaving after addressing the rally when explosion occured.

Was taken to RGH where she died in Operation Theatre. BBC reports as well. News is officially confirmed now.

MSN in its Most Influential Women of 2007 list ranked Benazir Bhutto at second position; she couldn’t live to see the light of 2008 though.

BTW, It reminds me of these verses in Punjabi …

سدا نہ باغ وِچ بُلبُل بولے سدا نہ رہن بہاراں

دشمن مرے تے خوشی نہ کريئے سجناں وی ٹُر جانا

Pakistan on High-Alert …!

ps: Please show some respect towards the dead while commenting.

Geo TV and AAG TV back on cable in Islamabad but Geo News and Geo super still at large, any way I believe this is a positive step form government side and hope in future they will be more tolerant about media

Twin suicide blasts killed at least 16 people in the Pakistani garrison town of Rawalpindi adjoining Islamabad early on Saturday, the military said, including 15 aboard a defence ministry bus.

A suicide bomber rammed a car into the back of the bus outside an intelligence service office carrying ISI personel. Another bomber blew up his car at a checkpoint outside army headquarters. The death toll is expected to rise, as some news agencies are quoting atleast 35 to be dead.

It seems like we are being bombard with the bad news these days

The GEO network is getting closed. Amidst financial and political pressures, currently ts been notified that Geo Netwok (including all channels) is getting closed. Pakistanis were not able to watch it since Emergency.

So no more Hamid Mirs, Shahid Masoods, Iftikhars Ahmads!!!!

No matter how over the top they used to go; still, Geo was first preference to switch to when news were needed.

Fear not for news only; the whole network’s closing down means LAYING OFF of thousands of employees and thats not a small thing. Think!!

ps: The clipping above is taken from Jang’s website. And currently you can watch it on GEO NEWS Live Stream too. A pic added as well.