– PAKISTANI PM SURVIVED ATTACK

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has survived an assassination attempt on Wednesday 09/03/2008 noon.  Two bullets from an unidentified gunman hit his car as he was travelling just outside the capital, Islamabad, his press secretary told the media.

Yousuf Raza Gilani was travelling in a bullet-proof car in a convoy between Islamabad and the nearby city of Rawalpindi after landing on an internal flight at Islamabad airport.

According to the press secretary for the Pakistani PM “The prime minster was coming back from Lahore. The firing took place on the Islamabad highway. At this point, we believe the firing was from a small hill on the roadside”. The incident represents a major lapse in security.

Mr Gilani had been in Lahore to canvass support for Asif Zardari, Ms Bhutto’s widower, ahead of presidential elections on next Saturday (see – Ongoing Crisis).

One of the biggest challenges facing Yousuf Raza Gilani’s government comes from pro-Taliban Islamist militants who control large areas along the border with Afghanistan.

Later that day Muslim Khan, a spokesman for the Taliban, took responsibility on the attack and said – “We will continue such attacks on government officials and installations”.

 

 

****************

Read more  ;