Gunmen have kidnapped the son of a former Pakistani prime minister, just days before a landmark election.
Assailants abducted Ali Haider Gilani, the son of Yousuf Raza Gilani, on his way to a political rally in the central town of Multan. Officials say at least one person in Gilani's entourage was killed in the attack.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taliban says it has dispatched suicide bombers to mount attacks on Saturday, the day of the election that marks the first handover from one civilian government to another in Pakistan's history.
The Taliban has not claimed responsibility for the Gilani kidnapping.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is seen as the likely winner in the parliament elections. He has apparently been able to capitalize on failures of the outgoing coalition government to tackle the power crisis, economic challenges and the Taliban insurgency.
This week's back-to-back bombings of two rallies of a leading Islamic party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, have strengthened views the Taliban are opposed to democracy and are targeting anyone taking part in the elections.
During the election campaign, militants have killed more than 100 people and wounded scores more since late April.
Pakistan's military says it is deploying thousands of troops to polling stations and counting centers to prevent the Taliban from disrupting the vote.
Pakistani politician and former cricketer Imrah Khan had been campaigning for his Pakistan Movement for Justice party, but had to stop after a dramatic fall Tuesday at an election rally in Lahore. Khan has made a plea from his hospital bed for people to vote for his PTI party in the May 11th elections.
Assailants abducted Ali Haider Gilani, the son of Yousuf Raza Gilani, on his way to a political rally in the central town of Multan. Officials say at least one person in Gilani's entourage was killed in the attack.
Meanwhile, the Pakistani Taliban says it has dispatched suicide bombers to mount attacks on Saturday, the day of the election that marks the first handover from one civilian government to another in Pakistan's history.
The Taliban has not claimed responsibility for the Gilani kidnapping.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is seen as the likely winner in the parliament elections. He has apparently been able to capitalize on failures of the outgoing coalition government to tackle the power crisis, economic challenges and the Taliban insurgency.
This week's back-to-back bombings of two rallies of a leading Islamic party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, have strengthened views the Taliban are opposed to democracy and are targeting anyone taking part in the elections.
During the election campaign, militants have killed more than 100 people and wounded scores more since late April.
Pakistan's military says it is deploying thousands of troops to polling stations and counting centers to prevent the Taliban from disrupting the vote.
Pakistani politician and former cricketer Imrah Khan had been campaigning for his Pakistan Movement for Justice party, but had to stop after a dramatic fall Tuesday at an election rally in Lahore. Khan has made a plea from his hospital bed for people to vote for his PTI party in the May 11th elections.
Source: VOA
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