Senior journalist and TV anchor Hamid Mir on Monday escaped an attempt on life when one of his neighbours pointed out a suspected box underneath his car, which turned out to be a bomb. The bomb was successfully defused by the bomb disposal squad later. The box carrying approximately half-a-kilogramme of explosives was spotted by Mir’s neighbour, who drew his driver’s attention towards it. According to a private TV channel, the journalist was on his way to his office and the bomb was apparently planted when he stopped at a market in F-7 area earlier in the day. “We have defused an improvised explosive device planted under the front seat of Mir’s car,” IGP Islamabad Bani Amin said. He said police had started investigation to trace out the culprits. Interior Minister Rehman Malik also visited Hamid Mir’s residence where he announced that the government of Pakistan would give Rs 50 million to anyone who provided information about those who planted the bomb. Talking to reporters, Mir said, “Those involved in this incident, who want to kill me…actually want to stop us from speaking the truth…. but they can’t deter us.” The Bomb Disposal Squad said the IED was packed in a tin case, adding that a number 33 detonator, ball bearings and a battery were recovered. The explosives reportedly did not detonate due to faulty wiring. Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira also condemned the incident and assured Mir of providing security to journalists.
