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       Son of Former Pakistani Prime Minister Kidnapped Days before Vote

   Gunmen have kidnapped the son of a former Pakistani prime minister on
   the final day of what has been a tumultuous campaign for a landmark
   election.
   The attackers seized Ali Haider Gilani in a hail of gunfire on the
   outskirts of Multan in Punjab province Thursday. The 27-year-old son of
   Yousuf Raza Gilani is running for a provincial assembly seat in the
   district. His father was not present at the event.
   Speaking to reporters at his home in Multan, the elder Gilani said two
   of his son`s guards died shielding him, but he did not know whether his
   son was wounded.
   He urged all of his party`s supporters to remain peaceful and
   participate in the vote.
   While the Taliban has not claimed responsibility for the kidnapping,
   the group has targeted Gilani`s Pakistan People`s Party, as well as
   other secular and religious parties, throughout the campaign leading up
   to Saturday`s election. Militants have killed more than 100 people and
   wounded scores more since April.
   The Taliban announced Thursday that it has dispatched suicide bombers
   to mount attacks during election day, which is the first handover from
   one civilian government to another in Pakistan`s history.
   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.
   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 televised plea from his hospital bed Thursday for people to
   vote for his PTI party in the May 11th elections.
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   r-kidnapped-days-before-vote/1658014.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/son-of-former-pakistani-prime-minister-kidnapped-days-before-vote/1658014.html