Blast near Pakistani President's residence

ISLAMABAD - Police found explosive material in a park near Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's army residence after an explosion was heard in the city of Rawalpindi today, police said in a statement.

The statement said no one was killed in the blast in Ayub Park, which backs onto the grounds of Army House. A bomb disposal squad was investigating the scene, it added.

A military spokesman earlier said the blast was not related to the president or Army House.

Musharraf, whose cooperation with the United States over its war against terrorism put him at the top of an al Qaeda hit list, survived two assassination attempts in December 2003.

He took power in 1999 when the military staged a bloodless coup.

After years of being snubbed by major democracies round the world, Musharraf was propelled to the front of the world stage by the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Washington persuaded Musharraf to help a US-led invasion force topple the ruling Taleban in neighbouring Afghanistan for harbouring al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden.

- REUTERS