ISLAMABAD: An apparent bomb blast rocked a public park near the military residence of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in Rawalpindi late on Wednesday, but there were no casualties, officials said.
Chief military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said the blast "has nothing to do with the president or army house (Musharraf's residence)".
He did not elaborate.
Police said the powerful explosion, which could be heard in the capital Islamabad some 10 kilometres away, happened in Rawalpindi's Ayub Park.
"A search party was sent and they found some explosives in the park. The bomb disposal squad and explosives experts are carrying out a detailed search," a senior police official said.
"There was no loss of life and no damage to property. Investigations are ongoing." Security forces cordoned off the park immediately after the explosion but later allowed people inside to leave, an AFP photographer said.
The park is less than a kilometre away from Musharraf's army residence. General Musharraf, a key ally in the United States' "war on terror", has survived two assassination attempts in Rawalpindi, both in December 2003.
In the first, militants blew up a bridge as his motorcade passed but Musharraf was saved when electronic jamming equipment in his car delayed the blast.
The second attempt was a suicide attack linked to Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network that left several people dead.
