Attempt to assassinate Pakistan Interior Minister fails

REUTERS - Pakistan's Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was wounded in an apparent assassination attempt yesterday (May 6), officials said, an incident likely to heighten political tensions ahead of general elections expected in late July. Junior interior minister Talal Chaudhry said Iqbal was hit by a bullet in his arm in the attack in Narowal district, his constituency in central Punjab province. According to the officials, the attacker was arrested immediately after the shooting. Iqbal, a senior member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and a staunch ally of ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, is one of the most senior figures in government and PML-N.