November 2009 Rawalpindi bombing

The November 2009 Rawalpindi bombing was a suicide attack carried out in front of the Mall Road branch of National Bank of Pakistan in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The blast area was considered to be a very safe and high security place which was subjected to a 22-hour siege by militants. Taliban blamed for this deadly blast which occurred when Pakistan government announced £3m in rewards for the capture of the Taliban leadership.

Blast
The blast occurred when an alleged suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blew up himself outside the door of a local bank near Shalimar Hotel behind Pearl Continental Hotel, which is also a commercial area.

A witness to the blast said, "We were sitting on the second floor of our office. It was a huge blast, Our building shook as if in an earthquake and when we came out there was smoke everywhere and body parts were thrown into our office."

Rescue teams have arrived on the blast area and emergency declared in major hospitals while many education institutions were closed in city and high security deployed in the sensitive areas.

Reaction
The blast provoked condemnations from President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, and many religious leaders and local politicians.