Bomber Targets Pakistan Official, Kills 5

A suicide bomber blew himself up next to a car carrying Pakistan’s prime minister-designate Friday, getting close enough to kill the driver and at least four other people, and spraying shrapnel into a crowd of supporters gathered to hear the politician.

About three dozen people were wounded, some seriously, hospital officials said.

The assassination attempt against Shaukat Aziz came a day after authorities announced the capture of Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, an alleged senior Al Qaeda terrorist, and after Pakistan said it was considering sending troops to Iraq. Suspicion immediately fell on Islamic militants enraged at President Pervez Musharraf’s support for the U.S.-led war on terrorism.

The bombing occurred about 7:20 p.m. as Aziz -- the 60-year-old finance minister who has been tapped to take over as prime minister -- was leaving a rally in Fateh Jang, a town 35 miles southwest of Islamabad, the capital, said Tahir Sadiq, the town’s mayor.

Aziz and Sadiq had just gotten into the bulletproof car, parked in a crowded area, when a man approached and set off the blast.

“The moment I sat in the car with Aziz there was an explosion,” Sadiq said. “He is safe, and God almighty is the greatest protector.”

Two hours after the attack, Aziz -- appearing unhurt -- told a gathering of supporters outside his house in Islamabad that he was all right and would “continue to serve the country with the same commitment and determination.”

Officials said five people, besides the bomber, were killed.