Pak PM escapes attempt on life By Rezaul H Laskar

Islamabad, Sep 4 (PTI) Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf
Raza Gilani Wednesday escaped an assassination attempt when
unidentified gunmen fired shots at his motorcade near the
garrison city of Rawalpindi, officials said.

The shooting occurred shortly after Gilani was returning
from an official visit to the eastern city of Lahore. His
motorcade was going to Islamabad from the high-security
Chaklala military airbase in Rawalpindi.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister's House said Gilani
and members of his staff had escaped unhurt and were safe.

He said police had been put on high alert and an
investigation launched into the incident.

The unidentified assailants fired at Gilani's motorcade
on a highway. At least two shots had hit the Prime Minister's
bulletproof vehicle, TV channels quoted officials as saying.

State-run P.T.V. beamed footage of the damage caused by
the bullets to the window of the driver's door of the vehicle.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Reports said the incident occurred at a spot where former
premier and P.M.L.-N. chief Nawaz Sharif's motorcade was fired
at on December 27 last year, shortly before Pakistan People's
Party (P.P.P.) chairperson Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in
a suicide bombing in Rawalpindi. PTI RHL