Pakistan’s Prime Minister escapes assassination attempt
PAKISTAN: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani escaped an
apparent assassination attempt on Wednesday when his car was struck by
two bullets fired by unknown assailants, officials said.
Security officials later said the prime minister was not in the car
at the time of the attack,
contradicting Gilani’s spokesman. “There was firing near the
motorcade of the prime minister. Two bullets hit the window glass of the
bullet-proof car in which the prime minister was travelling,” Gilani’s
spokesman Zahid Bashir told AFP.
“By the grace of Allah the prime minister is safe,” he added.
The attack happened in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the
capital Islamabad, and came three days before Pakistan’s presidential
election Saturday.
Television pictures showed shattered glass in the driver’s window of
a black Mercedes which forms part of the prime ministerial motorcade.
However security officials said the motorcade was on its way to meet
Gilani at Rawalpindi airport at the time of the attack.
“The prime minister and his staff were not in the car,” interior
secretary Kamal Shah told AFP.Gilani has been Pakistan’s prime minister
since March having taken office after his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)
won national elections the previous month.
Information Minister Sherry Rehman told state television: “The convoy
was going to receive the prime minister. He reached Islamabad from an
alternate route. Those who had designs, have failed.” She added: “I
spoke to prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. He is fine and carrying out
his routine duties and attending the appointments. He even did not
mention this incident.”
Rehman said that investigations were being carried out and the
results will be made public.
“It is an important event and a critical thing has happened,” she
added.
ISLAMABAD, Wednesday, AFP |