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'Assassins' fire at Pakistani PM's motorcade

03/09/2008

Would-be assassins have fired at the prime minister of Pakistan's motorcade outside the capital Islamabad.

Yousuf Raza Gilani was unhurt in the attack as – according to the latest reports – he was not in the car at the time.

He was instead waiting at the nearby airport to be picked up by his security detail after returning from a trip to Lahore.

Television pictures showed two bullet holes on the windshield of Mr Gilani's car following the attack, which took place on the main road to the airport close to the garrison city of Rawalpindi.

His spokesman had earlier said Mr Gilani was travelling in the car.

"By the grace of Allah the prime minister is safe," Zahid Bashir said.

But a security official later told the AFP news agency: "The prime minister and his staff were not in the car."

Mr Gilani, a leading figure in the Pakistan People's party (PPP), was chosen to lead Pakistan's coalition government following the general election in February this year.

Today's attack comes just days before the country votes for a new president this weekend following the resignation of Pervez Musharraf last month.

In December last year PPP leader and twice-former prime minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated when suicide bombers opened fire on her motorcade after a rally in Rawalpindi.