Islamabad: Pakistan's Prime Minister-designate Shaukat Aziz had a providential escape last night (Jul 30, 2004) when a suicide bomber exploded close to his car, killing seven persons, including his driver and the attacker and wounding more than 30 at an election rally at Fateh Jhang, 55 km West of Islamabad.

The attack took place when 55-year-old Aziz, the current Finance Minister, was leaving the venue of a public meeting. Fateh Jhang is a part of Attock constituency in Punjab province from where he contesting for a seat in the National Assembly.

Video footage of the scene of the attack telecast on the State-run PTV showed that the left side of the VIP car near the driver's seat, was completely destroyed while rear portion of the vehicle, where Aziz was sitting along with a local official remained intact.

District official Maj (retd) Tahir Sadiq, who was sitting with Aziz in the rear seat, told the media that they survived because the bomber prematurely exploded near the front door of the car, killing the driver instantaneously.

He said immediately after the blast he saw the driver falling dead on the steering wheel while smoke and dust gushed into the car. Security officials trailing the car guided the Aziz out of the vehicle, he said.