ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf, facing treason trial, had a narrow escape when a powerful bomb went off on a road near his farmhouse on the outskirts of the city shortly after his convoy had passed.

The explosion took place on VVIP Road between Faizabad and Rawal Dam Chowk one hour after 70-year-old Musharraf's convoy passed through the same route at about 3 am to shift him to his farmhouse from from Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi.

The intensity of the blast caused about a foot deep hole in the ground at the site of the incident. The police claimed that the attack was aimed to target the former president, media reports here said.

The police said the bomb disposal squad was called in at the blast site — three kilometers from Musharraf's sprawling Chak Shehzad farmhouse. The bomb was reportedly planted in a drainage pipe adjacent to the footpath.

Since Musharraf is under threat from terror groups, heavy security has been given to him and all his routes are thoroughly checked before he gets out. Reports said one person, who was in a car passing through the area, was injured in the blast.

The former military dictator was admitted to the AFIC on January 2 when he complained of heart problems on his way to a special court set up for his high treason trial for abrogating the constitution and detaining judges in 2007.

Musharraf was indicted on Monday by a special court hearing the high treason case against him. The military has ruled Pakistan for about half of its 66-year history and no ruler or top military commander has ever faced criminal prosecution before Musharraf.

Since Musharraf returned to Pakistan from self-exile in March last year, he has faced prosecution in four major cases, including for his alleged involvement in the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007 and the killing of Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti in 2006. - PTI

New Delhi: The Election Commission today removed Sumedh Singh Saini as Punjab Director General of Police following complaints against him and appointed vigilance department DG Suresh Arora in his place.

Highly-placed sources said the decision came after hours of deliberations at a special commission meeting this evening which was attended by Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath and Election Commissioners HS Brahma and Nasim Zaidi.

The poll panel had received complaints against Saini with the Punjab Congress unit openly levelling allegations of favouring the SAD-BJP regime in the state against him.

Arora, who replaced Saini, is at present DG, Vigilance Department in the state police. Both Saini and Arora are from 1982 IPS batch.

Saini had sent a fax to the state government and the poll body last night seeking leave for the period of elections. His request had been accepted by the Commission.

The Commission had also sought a three-member panel of officers from the state government for replacing Saini. The officers in the panel were DG, Home Guards, GD Pandey, DG, Security, Sanjiv Gupta and Suresh Arora.

The state will go to polls on April 30.

The EC had earlier transferred a number of other officers also.

Saini is not the first top police officer in state to be removed ahead of elections as the former DGP SS Virk was removed during the 2007 Assembly polls in the state. - PTI

New Delhi: The AAP today promised an array of initiatives in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls including a strong Jan Lokpal Bill, installation of CCTV cameras in court rooms and bringing down the age to contest elections to 21 from 25.

Releasing the manifesto, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal said decentralisation of power, citizen's charter to ensure time-bound delivery of services and providing good governance would be some other priorities for the party.

The AAP leader said his party was "industry-friendly" as creation of wealth was essential for overall development of the country but noted that it was against "crony capitalism".

He also proposed to double the number of judges in courts across the country. "There must be judicial accountabilty. We must have a fast, efficient and honest justice system. In five years, we will double the number of judges to ensure speedy justice," he said.  He also said the internal accountability of police must be fixed.

He also announced that the four-year under-graduate programme at Delhi University would be withdrawn as demanded by a section of students and teachers. PTI

PILIBHIT (UP): As the BJP general secretary Varun Gandhi courted controversy by “praising” estranged cousin Rahul Gandhi, his mother and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi on Thursday said her son’s remark on Amethi’s development was “not correct” and advised him to use his mind instead of heart while making statements.

The BJP MP also said that development work has not taken place in Amethi in the last 45 years. Defending her son’s statement, Maneka Gandhi said he was innocent and his heart was clean.

“He is an innocent person...his heart is clean...He would have asked about the work done in Amethi on which he would have said whatever happened there is good”, she said. Maneka Gandhi said that she had spoken to Varun Gandhi in this regard as whatever he said on development in Amethi was “not correct".

When asked whether she would advice Varun Gandhi to use his mind in place of heart while making statements, she said, “Yes...this is true“. “In Amethi expected works have not taken place in past 45 years..”, she said.

Varun Gandhi on Wednesday praised his estranged cousin, leaving the BJP embarrassed after which he changed tack and said it should not be seen as an endorsement of any political party or candidate.

Varun Gandhi, who is the BJP’s youth face in Uttar Pradesh, had created a flutter when he had said that Rahul is doing good work through his self-help groups for ameliorating the status of women in his parliamentary constituency Amethi and added that he would like to do the same in Sultanpur district. - PTI

CHANDIGARH: Punjab's ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today charged the Congress with selling tickets to the aspirants for the Lok Sabha polls.

"Congress is selling Lok Sabha tickets...poor Congressmen who are keen to enter the poll fray with limited resources are dumping the party," SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal said here after inducting sitting Congress MP from Fatehgarh Sahib Sukhdev Singh Libra into the partyfold.

"Congress has become directionless...there is no respect for workers and leaders at grassroots level in the party so in frustration they are deserting it," he said.

He alleged that the decisions taken by the Congress are by a chosen few and no grassroot level worker is taken into confidence.

"Those who are getting tickets in Congress are getting them only by paying huge money," he said.

Sukhbir claimed that Union Minister of State Santosh Choudhary, who was among the front runner from her bastion Hoshiarpur, was denied ticket by the Congress and she herself alleged that she could not afford money to pay for a Lok Sabha ticket. Congress had fielded sitting Jalandhar MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee from Hoshiarpur seat.

Congress has put its bet on sitting MLA Sadhu Singh Dharamsot in place of Libra. Before 2009 elections, Libra got elected as MP on SAD ticket in 2004.

Libra hogged limelight after he defied the SAD whip in 2008 and abstained from the Parliament during voting on Nuclear deal. He was expelled from the SAD after that and year later he joined Congress and contested on party ticket to again get elected to the Lok Sabha.- PTI

LAKHIMPUR KHERI (UP): Some unidentified Nepali residents allegedly encroached upon no-man's land on the Indo-Nepal border under north Kheri forest division in Indian territory, officials said.

The matter came to fore yesterday when the border security agencies spotted hastily-built hutments between border pillar number 199 and 200 near Basahi jungles in Raninagar area, Sub Divisional Magistrate (Pallia) VB Singh said.

The administrative authorities were then informed, he said, adding, while pillar number 199 was intact and built deep into Indian territory, pillar number 200 was reportedly missing and demarcation was marked on a tree into Nepal territory, which was recently cut down.

While the Kheri forest department described the encroached land to be of forest department, the Nepalese authorities described it as their own, Singh said.

"I am on the spot to probe the matter," he said.

District Magistrate Gaurav Dayal said that the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have removed the disputed structures on the land while SDM, and Pallia circle officer have been rushed to the spot to probe the matter and submit their report. - PTI