Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf on Sunday night had a providential escape when a powerful bomb went off minutes after his highly guarded convoy crossed a bridge in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Shoukat Sultan told the media here Musharraf was safe and the blast had not caused any injuries but only damaged the bridge partially.
Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said Musharraf was returning home at Army House in Rawalpindi, near here, from the city's airport after his visit to Karachi.
The blast, which took place at Jhanda Chachi bridge near Chaklal airport on way to Rawalpindi, was so close that 61-year-old Musharraf heard it himself even as his convoy was immediately driven to safety.
Sheikh Rashid told reporters that he spoke to Musharraf after the incident and he was cheerful.
He said the explosion damaged the bridge but caused no harm to Musharraf.
The blast at the bridge was so powerful that it could be heard from some distance and several residents in the area reported that windowpanes of their houses broke under the impact of the explosion.
Witnesses said a massive column of smoke followed the blast while some unconfirmed reports spoke of small arms fire after the explosion.
This is the first time that a blast took place so close to the convoy of the Pakistani military ruler who has escaped at least two attempts on him in the past.
Interestingly, Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri had earlier landed Chaklal airport this evening on arrival on a three-day visit to Pakistan.
"It was certainly a terrorist act and, certainly, it was me who was targeted, but let me say with confidence that I am used to such incidents, it has happened before also, one does not get bothered," Musharraf said.
"I know, that when I came back from tour of Sindh, and as I was going home from Chaklala (airbase), and we crossed the Ammar Chowk bridge there was an explosion just one minute or half a minute after we crossed."
"God is great and one has to trust in god, there is no problem, life continues normally -- god is the saviour," Musharraf said.
"It is the militants, extremists, terrorists and fundamentalists, who are out to not only damage our nation but also bring a bad name to our great religion," he said.