The attempt to eliminate Shaikh Raishid is a pathetic attempt by his political foes to eliminate the popular leader. GOing by “who gains” as a motive for the murder attempt, there are only two parties in Pakistan that would get an advantage–that is the PPPP and the PMLN. The PLNQ still thinks of Mr. Rashid as an ally.

Tall tales of an “investigation” will be told in the halls of power–”full of sound and fury” signifying nothing. The world will blame Mr. Zardari and and Mr. Sharif for the attempted murder.

OUr prediction was validated by the processions, and the slogans of the supporters of Mr. Rashid who blamed the Sharifs for the attack.

RAWALPINDI: Former information minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed was injured and his two bodyguards were killed when gunmen opened fire at his party’s election office on Monday.

The Awami Muslim League (AML) chief was at his party’s Rawalpindi election office for the on-going by-elections when unknown gunmen attacked the office, according to a DawnNews report. Two of Rasheed’s bodyguards were killed in the attack while the former federal minister was injured but is said to be in stable condition.

The identity of the gunmen, who opened fire at AML office, was not known but the violence is likely to raise political tension.

Ahmed was hurt but not by a bullet, an aide, Javed Qureshi, told Reuters. Ahmed had apparently injured a foot when he fell over during the attack, he said.

“Unidentified gunmen opened fire with Kalashnikovs. It was an assassination attempt,” Qureshi said.

As well as the two guards killed, two were wounded, he said.

Police had earlier said Ahmed had been wounded in the shooting.

Ahmed was information and railways minister in the previous government, led by former president Pervez Musharraf. He lost his seat in parliament in a February 2008 general election.

He left the former ruling party and set up his own after the 2008 election.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has ordered his provincial government to hold an immediate inquiry into the attack while members of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) walked out of the National Assembly in condemnation of the attack.

Sheikh Rasheed was formerly a member of PML-Q before forming his own political party in 2008.

An official of the rescue service said Mr. Ahmed was not shot but fell down and hurt his knee in the pandemonium after the attack.

He was ferried to District Headquarter Hospital as hundreds of his supporters took to the streets despite a heavy downpour of rain and chanted slogans against a rival political party, the Pakistan Muslim League-N, which is headed by Nawaz Sharif.

The attempt Mr. Rashid’s life is likely to raise the political temperature within the country.

He is running for a seat in the National Assembly in a by-election scheduled for Feb.24.

The result of the election has a symbolic significance as it is seen as a referendum on the performance of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, the dominant party in Punjab Province, said Cyril Almeida, a political analyst and editor at DAWN, the country’s most prestigious daily. Punjab Province includes Rawalpindi, a garrison city near the capital, Islamabad.

Personal assassination is not the MO of the militants. This seems like a venture to eliminate a political opponent from a seat that seems to the jinxed for the PMLN.