ISLAMABAD, Jan 4: Capital city saw four terrorist attacks in 2011 in which four persons were killed, including two high profile, and the same number of people injured, according to Security Report 2011 of Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) launched here on Wednesday.
An official of the PIPS, Mujtaba Rathore, told Dawn that the sources of information to collect the details for the Security Report 2011 were media, police officials and the institute's provincial and district correspondents.The first incident of the year took place in Kohsar Market in F-6 on January 4, in which Punjab Governor Salman Taseer was assassinated by his security guard, Malik Mumtaz Qadri.
In the second incident on March 2 at I-8/4 Federal Minorities' Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti was assassinated in broad daylight ambush a few yards away from his mother's house.
The third incident, according to the report, occurred on June 13, in which a suicide bomber blew himself up in Silk Bank's I-8 Markaz Branch. The bank is owned by former finance minister Shaukat Tarin. This was first suicide attack in capital after a gap of over 18 months.
A security guard, Mohammad Bashir, deployed at the main gate of the bank, and the suicide bomber were killed on the spot.
Besides, four staff members of the Silk Bank, operation manager, Zulqarnain Mujahid, Sales Officer Hasib Ahmad, Security Guard Maqbool, Sanitary worker Shani along with Mohammad Bashir suffered injuries.
The fourth incident was the killing of a member of Aman Jirga (peace conclaves) of Tribal Area in the capital on May 12. Makeen Shah was assassinated at Fathjhang Chowk in Tarnol.
The report further said last year 98 suspects were arrested from Islamabad for their alleged involvement in terrorism.
Mr Rathor, quoting the report, added they were affiliated with Therik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-i-Jhangavi and Therik Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Mohammadi.
Besides, scores of suicide jackets were also recovered during the period, the report said.
However, the report did not mention at least three more terrorist activities that also took place in the city last year.
On June 12, a low density remote controlled device went off in which three people were injured.
The incident happened near Red-Zone's Third Avenue. The explosive was planted in bushes at the road divider which was exploded when a motorcyclist was negotiating a U-turn. The shock from the blast overturned a Toyota Corolla going towards Bhara Kahu.
In the incident two motorcyclistsand the car's driver were injured.
On August 1, Improvised Explosive Device (IED) carrying a kilograms explosive was detonated at Bahria Bridge near Athal Chowk, located on Murree Road.
