RAWALPINDI, April 5 Police are hunting “a would-be suicide bomber,” who they suspect was to strike along with the one who blew himself up at a religious congregation in Chakwal on Sunday but got scared and fled, a senior official said.

The police official confirmed that it was believed that there were two bombers; one detonated the explosive device while the other disappeared from the scene, apparently out of fear.

“Since a suspected bomber is missing, police in Rawalpindi division have been put on red alert and a hunt has been launched to trace the missing man.”

Meanwhile, at least 18 of the injured victims of the Chakwal suicide attack were brought to different hospitals in Rawalpindi, where one of them died, hospital authorities and police said.

The death toll might rise further as two of the wounded persons admitted to Rawalpindi hospitals were said to be in critical condition.

Of the 18, six were brought to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ). One of them identified as Kamran Hussain, 22, died in the hospital.

Seven others were shifted to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital; one to the Holy Family Hospital, and four to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH).

A 12-year-old boy identified by a single name, Gohar, was brought to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad, where he was said to be in stable condition.

The injured were shifted to Rawalpindi hospitals in Rescue 1122 ambulances, though arrangements had also been made to airlift them from Chakwal to Islamabad.

Eleven police officials suspended

Eleven police officials, including the SHO Cantonment, were suspended and three of them were booked on the charge of negligence.

A spokesman for Regional Police Officer Nasir Khan Durrani said in the wake of the present security threat and intelligence reports, a special meeting was held to review the department's strategy.

The meeting was headed by RPO Durrani and attended by City Police Officer Rao Mohammad Iqbal and other senior police officers.

The RPO told the meeting that he would get checked the security arrangements through Range Vigilance Team.

In this connection, the SSP Security was assigned to check the security arrangements, and when the officer visited the Police Lines Rawalpindi, he found shortcoming in the security.

The spokesman said visitors were not being checked properly, while the inspector supervisory was found absent from duty.

Therefore, the SSP called for departmental action against them, and in light of his recommendation, RPO Durrani suspended Inspector Saleem Akhtar, SI Liaquat Ali, constables Safeer Akhtar, Najeeb, Raheel, Mohammad Pervaiz, Mohammad Zaheer and Lady Constable Mehwish Anjum.

The SSP also visited the Cantonment police station and went to the room of Muharrar. He was neither checked by the police guard nor did the Muharrar enquire from him the purpose of his visit.

The official recommended action against the Muharrar and constables on sentry duty for their negligence.

In light of the recommendation, RPO Durrani suspended Muharrar Shakeel Ahmad and constables Saqib and Shahid Mehood, and also ordered registration of a criminal case against them.

Meanwhile, CPO Iqbal said “red alert” had been declared in the city and the cantonment areas after the recent deadly terrorist attacks in Islamabad and Chakwal.

“We have been doing whatever is possible for the safety of security forces and the public,” the CPO said.