Bomb Threat Grounds Plane

N E W   Y O R K, Sept. 14 -- A jet carrying Pakistan’s military ruler and 120other people bound for England and Pakistan was forced to return toJohn F. Kennedy International Airport after a bomb threat.

No injuries were reported. The threat was received by telephoneafter Pakistan International Airlines Flight 722 left the airportWednesday night, Port Authority spokesman Alan Hicks said.

Pakistan’s military ruler, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, was on theplane, said Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UnitedStates who was with him in New York. She said the flight wasexpected to be delayed three to four hours.

Dogs Check for Explosives

The plane bound for Manchester, England, and then Karachi turnedaround and landed without incident. Hicks said authorities wereremoving passengers and luggage so the jet could be checked by dogteams for explosives.

Hicks said dogs had checked the luggage before it had taken off.

Musharraf took over the leadership of Pakistan last Octoberafter the military deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in abloodless coup.

Musharraf has vowed to cleanse the country’s politics ofcorruption before holding elections — a decision that has beenwidely welcomed by people in Pakistan, though it has drawncriticism abroad. Pakistan’s Supreme Court has given themilitary-led government three years to complete the task and returnthe country to democracy.