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| Thursday, 19 August 2004 |
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Pak PM-designate who escaped bomb faces vote ISLAMABAD, Wednesday (Reuters) Pakistan's prime minister-designate Shaukat Aziz bids to seal his place in parliament on Wednesday, less than three weeks after surviving an assassination attempt blamed on Islamic militants. The former banker, who must win a seat in the National Assembly before heading the government, restricted political campaigning in the two constituencies he is contesting after the July 30 suicide bombing in the town of Attock. Nine people were killed, including Aziz's driver, in an attack officials have linked to the al Qaeda network bent on deposing President Pervez Musharraf and his allies for their support for the U.S.-led war on terror. Soldiers have been deployed in Attock, 80 km (50 miles) west of Islamabad, and Tharparkar, in southern Sindh province, to bolster security ahead of by-elections. Three activists from the Pakistan People's Party, led by exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, were killed on Monday in a drive-by shooting near Attock in pre-poll violence. Aziz, the highly respected finance minister, was hand-picked by Musharraf to take over from Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who fell out of favour with the all-powerful general. Pro-military powerbroker Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain filled in as temporary replacement, and will step aside for Aziz. Political analysts say winning one of the two polls looks a formality. |
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