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| Gunmen Kidnap Ex-Premier's son in Pakistan | | | LAHORE: Gunmen in Pakistan kidnapped a former prime minister's son who is running for a provincial legislative seat in Saturday's national election.
Ali Haider Gilani spoke Thursday during a campaign meeting at a house on the outskirts of Multan before his abduction by unidentified gunmen.
Ali Haider Gilani, son of Yousaf Raza Gilani who served as premier in the Pakistan Peoples Party government of President Asif Ali Zardari, was abducted Thursday in the city of Multan in southern Punjab. While no one claimed immediate responsibility, the Pakistani Taliban have repeatedly said they would target politicians from the three secular-leaning parties of the government coalition. More than 100 people were killed in these attacks over the past month.
Gunmen on motorcycles attacked the younger Mr. Gilani during a rally Thursday and gunned down his secretary before escaping with their captive, said Malik Deharr, a Pakistan Peoples Party official in Multan. "We are all very sad and sorry," said Mr. Deharr. "We demand from security forces to take action and make an urgent response."
Two brothers of the kidnapped politician told Pakistani TV channels that the PPP wouldn't allow elections to be held in Multan if their brother wasn't recovered by the end of Thursday.
All exits and entrances to Multan, a PPP stronghold, were sealed as authorities looked for Mr. Gilani, residents said. Buffeted by Taliban violence and accusations of corruption, the PPP is widely expected to lose many of its parliament seats in Saturday's elections. The vote is expected to mark the first time since Pakistan's establishment in 1947 that a civilian government is succeeded by another elected administration. |
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