Shots fired in flightpath of Musharraf’s plane

PAKISTAN: Pakistani security forces Friday arrested a man and seized an improvised anti-aircraft gun after shots were fired into the flightpath of President Pervez Musharraf’s plane, officials said.

The incident in Rawalpindi, a garrison city adjoining Islamabad, occurred several minutes after the aircraft passed overhead having taken off from a military airbase, security officials said on condition of anonymity.

Pakistani military spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad denied the shots had targeted Musharraf’s plane.

“It was not related to the president,” he told AFP.

The shots were fired from the flat roof of a house, officials said.

“The shots were fired from a house that was rented by a couple some days ago. They have arrested one suspect and taken into possession a machinegun which was used as an anti-aircraft weapon,” one security official said.

The 14.5 mm calibre weapon was found on a crudely-made wooden tripod on the roof. It had been specially modified to increase its range, the official added.

“The man and woman who rented the house fled by the time security forces got to the scene. The suspect (a third person) was arrested near the scene,” he said.

Islamabad, Friday, AFP