ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 — A  suicide bomber Tuesday morning attempted to attack the Peshawar Press Club, facing  the Frontier Governor’s House. He  was intercepted by a security guard, who was killed along with one other person when the bomber set off his explosives.

Peshawar Police Chief  Liaquat Ali  said, “We  have been receiving threatening calls for a week that the Press Club  would be the next target. A suicide bomber this morning came to the Club’s exit gate, manned by one security guard, Riazuddin. The bomber was  overwhelmed. He blew himself up, killing himself and the security guard, and another person was killed.”

The explosion caused partial  damage  to  the Press  Club’s  building.

CCP Liaquat  said five  people were  injured.

President of  the Peshawar Press  Club  Salim  Shahid told  Arab  News, “It’s  correct  that we  have  been  receiving  threats from some clandestine organization for the last many days. We were asked to write against policies of the  government.” He said, “Not only calls but  some  e-mails,  too, were  received  by  the  Club, which carried a direct  threat against media men. Finally, they  have  struck  today.”

Information  Minister  of NWFP immediately reached  Press  club  and condemned  attack  of  journalists. He  said 20  people were  injured. “Media support the government’s efforts in fighting terrorists therefore militants  attacked Press  Club Tuesday”.

He said militants have hurled threats to various segments of society.

He said it’s the month of Muharram and the government had tightened security of Imam bargahs. The  terrorists found  the Press Club an easy target, though.

President Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of  Journalists Pervez  Shaukat told a Press Conference at the National Press  Club here, “Now  militants  are  attacking media men to dictate their terms. We will carry out our duties in line with  the national  interest,  and we will  report facts about criminal acts of terrorists.”

He said, “We are not going to be deterred by such cowardly acts”.

Pervez  Shaukat  said, “We are going to institute a  media victims fund with the help of International Press  Unions.”

He  recalled that terrorists have killed many journalists in Frontier and Tribal agencies.Their crime was that they  reported facts.”

He condemned the bombing at the Peshawar Club Tuesday.