A very different bomb site

A very different bomb site

There was something different about this bomb scene - I got a sense of that almost as soon as we reached the site.

There was nervousness in the air. The army had cordoned off the streets and the police insisted we could not go near where the suicide bomber had struck.

Normally a bomb site in Pakistan is a chaotic scene - TV news trucks surround the area, correspondents prepare for lives, photographers clamber through the wreckage, bystanders stand and watch the tragic circus unfold as ambulances and police sirens provide the soundtrack. On almost every bombing I’ve covered for Al Jazeera in Pakistan since our launch - 3 years ago this month - I have been able to get to the site, film and record as the situation unfolds.

Not this one. Almost immediately all streets were blocked. The soldiers were firm. "We have our orders and we cannot let you through," was the constant refrain on every corner we turned to try and get into the site.

It could be because of the sensitivity of Rawalpindi. Rawalpindi is a garrison town. It’s home to Pakistan's army, and is where the top brass reside.

The army is already on high alert here. Just over 3 weeks ago, gunmen managed to storm the army’s headquarters and laid siege to it for 24 hours. The episode was embarrassing for the army, who claim to be one of the best in the world.

When we got near the site, we found the army had placed barbed wire in front of us with several soldiers standing guard. By the time we had left, soldiers had been posted across all of the entry and exit points into the city.

With the battle against the Taliban continuing in South Waziristan, violent incidents occur almost daily here. But covering blasts has become dangerous, with a real fear of secondary blasts once the media get to a scene. That's not happened so far, but many say it's only a matter of time.

There was no official reason given for why we were not allowed near the scene. But then one might not be needed. The entire country is in a state of high alert, and with that comes a state of nervousness.

Winning the war against the Taliban may well come down to a battle of nerves. So far Pakistan's nerve is holding, but then, so is the Taliban's.