Senior ANP leader survives assassination attempt in Pak's Quetta

A senior leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) today survived an assassination attempt when heavily-armed militants opened fire on him during a meeting with his party workers in Pakistan's troubled Balochistan province, a police officer said.

Daud Achakzai is the second ANP leader to be targeted ahead of the July 25 elections after another senior leader, Haroon Bilour, and 12 others were killed in a suicide attack at an election rally in northwestern Peshawar city on July 10.

The militants attacked Achakzai when he was meeting with his party workers at a guesthouse in the Qilla Abdullah area of the province.

Achakzai, who suffered bullet injuries in the attack, was rushed to a hospital in Quetta.

"He has received bullets on his right arm but is out of danger," the police officer said.

Pakistan's top counter-terrorism body has warned that there were serious security threats to political leaders of all major parties and suicide bombers could be used to target them.

ANP leaders Asfandyar Wali Khan and Ameer Haider Hoti were among those who are on the hit-list of terrorists.

Today's attack came days after around 130 people were killed and more than 200 others injured in a suicide bomb blast at an election rally of Balochistan Awami Party leader Nawab Siraj Raisani in Mastung district of the province.

Raisani, who was a candidate from PB-35 (Mastung), was among those killed in the attack.