Pakistani woman minister shot dead at meeting

Lahore (Pakistan), Feb 20: A man shot dead a Pakistani provincial government minister today as she was about to give a speech at a political party meeting, a minister said.

Zil-e-Huma, social welfare minister of the Punjab government, was an active member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League that supports President Pervez Musharraf.

''The attacker fired a bullet into her forehead as she was walking to the dias to speak,'' Punjab's law minister, Raja Basharat, told Reuters.

The shooting occurred at Huma's party office in the town of Gujarawala, 70 km north of the provincial capital, Lahore.

The motive for the attack was not known but the gunman, who was captured by police, had a criminal background, Basharat said. The man was being interrogated.

REUTERS >