Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was injured while three other people, including two bodyguards, were killed.

RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was injured while three other people, including two bodyguards, were killed when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle outside his party’s election office here on Monday.

Rawalpindi’s Regional Police Officer Aslam Tareen termed the attack an act of terrorism and targeted killing.

Sheikh Rashid, who was taken to the District Headquarters Hospital, was in a stable condition when last reports came in.

According to initial medical reports, X-rays showed that he was not hit by a bullet. However, he had a slight swelling on his leg, a doctor said.

Later, he was discharged from the hospital.

The AML chief was attacked by two masked gunmen at his party’s election office near Mohammadi Chowk, in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed, while he was getting into his vehicle.

Sheikh Rashid’s bodyguards chased the fleeing gunmen, but they were gunned down by their accomplices, security sources said. Kalashnikovs were used by the attackers who managed to escape on motorcycles.

The identity of the gunmen was not known, police said.

Tanveer, an eyewitness, said all of a sudden the gunmen appeared in the crowd and opened fire.

He said: “Sheikh Rashid has been on the hit list of terrorists since the Lal Masjid operation (July 2007) and he has been provided security by the Punjab government.”

Sheikh Rashid, who had been a member of the PML-Q and was information and railways minister in the previous government of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf, formed his own political party after losing his National Assembly seat in 2008. He is contesting a by-election to NA-55, Rawalpindi.

All candidates contesting the by-election had been advised in writing to inform the police and district administration one day before a public meeting or any other gathering. But Monday’s function was not a scheduled event and the police were not intimated.

A large number of Sheikh Rashid’s supporters gathered outside the hospital and shouted slogans against certain political leaders and police. Some of the angry protesters burned tyres on the roads to block traffic.

Five police personnel had been deployed at the residence of Sheikh Rashid in Rawalpindi, but no police squad was provided to him during his inter-city movements.

Those who lost their lives in the attack were identified as Anwar-ul-Haq, Javaid and Shahid Shahzad.

Mohammad Hassan and Ilyas Abbasi were injured.

Sheikh Rashid recorded his statement before the Pirwadhai police late in the night.

He said he was coming out of his election office after attending a meeting when some unidentified gunmen opened fire, killing three of his associates.

“Two of the gunmen who were wearing shawls appeared on the scene while their two other accomplices were standing at a short distance. Sheikh Rashid did not identify any person by name as prime accused.

A police source said that Sheikh Rashid had accused a senior police officer of negligence.

The police formed a team to probe the attack.

INVESTIGATION:

The Punjab government has set up a high-level team comprising representatives of the Punjab Police, ISI and IB to probe the incident.

According to the provincial government, it will give financial assistance to families of the dead and to all the injured. Instructions had already been issued for treatment of the wounded persons at government expenses, a handout said.

Reuters adds:

The violence is likely to raise political tension in Rawalpindi.

Sheikh Rashid was hurt but not by a bullet, an aide, Javed Qureshi, told Reuters. He 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,” Mr Qureshi said.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik told parliament two guards and two other people were killed. Two guards were wounded.

Police had earlier said the AML chief had been wounded in the shooting. Television showed pictures of supporters carrying a conscious Sheikh Rashid into hospital.