ISLAMABAD - PAKISTAN Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani escaped an apparent assassination attempt on Wednesday when his car was struck by two bullets fired by unknown assailants, officials said.

Security officials later said the prime minister was not in the car at the time of the attack, contradicting Mr Gilani's spokesman.

'There was firing near the motorcade of the prime minister. Two bullets hit the window glass of the bullet-proof car,' Mr Gilani's spokesman Zahid Bashir said.

'By the grace of Allah the prime minister is safe,' he added.

The attack happened in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, near the capital Islamabad, and came three days before Pakistan's presidential election on Saturday.

Television pictures showed shattered glass in the driver's window of a black Mercedes which forms part of the prime ministerial motorcade.

However security officials said the vehicles were on their way to meet Mr Gilani at Rawalpindi airport at the time of the attack.

'The prime minister and his staff were not in the car,' interior secretary Kamal Shah said.

'The prime minister had not yet landed from Lahore when the incident took place. The motorcade was on its way to the airport to receive him.' He added: 'The driver said he heard two sounds. We have set up a special team to investigate what exactly happened.'

A senior security official said that two 7.62 mm bullets had been fired.

Mr Shah confirmed that the vehicles used in Mr Gilani's motorcade are armoured and are equipped with bullet-proof glass.

Mr Gilani has been Pakistan's prime minister since March having taken office after his Pakistan People's Party (PPP) won national elections the previous month.

Information Minister Sherry Rehman told state television: 'The convoy was going to receive the prime minister. He reached Islamabad from an alternate route. Those who had designs, have failed.'

She added: 'I spoke to prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. He is fine and carrying out his routine duties and attending the appointments. He even did not mention this incident.'

Ms Rehman said that investigations were being carried out and the results will be made public.

'It is an important event and a critical thing has happened,' she added. -- AFP