Pak PM escapes assassination attempt

ISLAMABAD, Sept 3(Internet) Yousuf Raza Gillani, the Pakistani Prime Minister, escaped an apparent assassination attempt today when shots were fired at his motorcade as it headed towards Islamabad airport to pick him up. brA spokesman for Mr Gillani, who heads the country's new coalition government, had said that he was in his armoured car at the time of the attack and two bullets had hit the windows of the vehicle, but it later emerged that the attack in the garrison town of Rawalpindi was premature. brThe Prime Minister and his staff were not in the car, said Kamal Shah, the Interior Secretary. The Prime Minister had not yet landed from Lahore when the incident took place. The motorcade was on its way to the airport to receive him. brThe attack, which underlines the turbulent nature of Pakistani politics, happened only a few hours before Mr Gillani was due to meet David Cameron, the Conservative leader who is visiting Pakistan. brMr Gillani is a senior member of the Pakistan People's Party, which was led by Benazir Bhutto until her assassination on December 27 as she left an election rally in Rawalpindi. The PPP went on to win the election on February 18 and Mr Gillani was sworn in as premier the following month. brPakistan has a long history of political bloodshed, and the attempt on Mr Gilani's life comes just three days before MPs choose the country's new president to replace Pervez Musharraf. brMr Musharraf, who survived multiple attempts on his life while in office, resigned last month after the ruling coalition threatened to impeach him. Mrs Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, is the frontrunner in Saturday's three-way race. brThe assassination attempt against Mr Gillani comes amid mounting international concern about the stability of Pakistan, a vital ally in the US-led war on terror that is increasingly seen as a safe haven for al-Qaeda and Taleban militants. brEarlier today, foreign commandos from Afghanistan backed by helicopter gunships carried out a pre-dawn attack inside Pakistan today, killing 20 people, including women and children, and provoking outrage. brThe attack, the first cross-border incursion involving ground troops, was seen as a challenge for Mr Gillani's government. Local residents said that the assault involved both American and Afghan troops.br