Pakistan president condemns kidnapping of ex-PM's son

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday condemned the kidnapping of the son of former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani after an attack on a political gathering, a presidential spokesman said.

Ali Haider Gillani, son of Yusuf Raza Gilani and candidate from a provincial assembly seat in Multan, was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen after they opened fire and killed one person and injured several others, reported Xinhua.

Zardari, who also called up Yusuf Raza Gilani, described the kidnapping of Ali Haider Gilani as a most reprehensible act of a cowardly enemy, spokesperson for the president Senator Farhatullah Babar said.

He said the president also called upon government agencies concerned to get into action to recover him safely and bring the culprits to book.

The president said the progressive democratic parties had already expressed their serious apprehensions about the militants' threats and had called upon the Election Commission and the government to take appropriate measures so that the elections are not hijacked by the extremists.

Zardari said the democratic forces will not be deterred by such cowardly acts and will continue to fight the militants and extremists to the finish and make the ongoing process of democratic transition a success.

The police sealed all exit points from Multan and conducted a search operation.

No group claimed responsibility and Gilani's family has also not blamed any one for the incident.

The Taliban had threatened to attack the PPP, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP), for what they called the parties' "secular doctrine".