Pakistani investigators probe attack on PM's motorcade

PAKISTAN: Pakistani police were Thursday investigating a failed assassination attempt on Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, a day after sniper fire struck his motorcade.

The premier was not in the targeted vehicle at the time, but the brazen daytime attack underscored security fears in the world's only nuclear-armed Islamic nation ahead of Saturday's presidential election.

The motorcade was headed to pick Gilani up from Islamabad International Airport in the capital's twin city of Rawalpindi when the attack occurred.

Security officials told AFP that police were examining the site on the main highway to the airport and that the government was awaiting a ballistics report.

"Investigations are under way to determine the nature of the incident," interior secretary Kamal Shah said.

A police investigator said the apparent assassination bid was likely "symbolic."

"What is clear is that they (the attackers) could never have breached the bullet proof windows with this kind of fire," he said.

A police official, meanwhile, said that if the vehicle had been hit by a long-distance sniper shot, the marksman would have been of very high quality.

Islamabad, Thursday, AFP