Pak PM escapes assassination bid

Islamabad, September 3, 2008

Shots were fired at Pakistani prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's motorcade on Wednesday but he was not hurt, his spokesman said.

'Multiple shots were fired, the prime minister is safe,' said the spokesman, Zahid Bashir, adding at least two bullets had hit Gilani's armoured vehicle. The attack happened on the main road to the airport in the capital, Islamabad.

Earlier, Gilani had arrived back at the airport from a trip to the eastern city of Lahore. Gilani is a senior member of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's party.

She was killed in a suicide gun and bomb attack on December 27 while campaigning for a general election.

The government said Al Qaeda-linked militants killed her. Bhutto's party went on to win the February 18 election and Gilani became prime minister of a coalition government.-Reuters

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