Bomb targets Pakistani minister

A suicide attack at the house of a Pakistani government minister has killed at least two people, police say.

Amir Muqam, federal minister for political affairs, escaped unhurt. Mr Muqam is a senior member of the governing PML-Q party.

The blast took place at his home in the western city of Peshawar.

Mr Muqam is from the district of Swat where Islamist militants demanding the introduction of Sharia law are fighting the military.

Two security officials were killed and the attacker also died in the blast, police say.


"Police tried to stop the suicide bomber but he blew himself up," Peshawar police chief Abdul Majid Marwat said, Reuters news agency reports.

Mr Muqam said: "I saw two, three bodies on my veranda."

No group has said it carried out the attack.

Correspondents say suspicion will fall on militants in the northern district of Swat. Mr Muqam has been vocal in his criticism of the militants there.

Gen Musharraf justified the introduction of emergency rule last Saturday on the need to combat militants and rein in the judiciary.

__________________
Devil-may-care