2nd LD Writethru: Pakistan's interior minister injured in assassination attempt

ISLAMABAD, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was shot and injured in an assassination attempt during a rally in Narowal district of the country's eastern Punjab province on Sunday evening, police said.

District Police Officer of Narowal Imran Kishwar said a local resident opened fire at the minister soon after he concluded his speech during a rally in Kanjrur town of the district.

The gunman Abid Hussain, 22, merely managed firing one shot that hit the minister's right arm.

The suspect was arrested by the police soon after he fired the shot, the officer said.

The minister was rushed to the District Hospital in Narowal where he is undergoing surgery. He is out of danger, the officer said.

Chief Minister of Punjab Province Shahbaz Sharif sent a helicopter to shift the minister to a hospital in Lahore, the provincial capital of Punjab.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi condemned the attack and ordered the police to trace the planners behind the attack.

Iqbal is considered among the top brains of Pakistan's political elite. He is performing his duties along with two portfolios, including minister of interior and minister of planning, development and reform. Enditem