A gunman has shot and injured Pakistani Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal while he was visiting his constituency in the north-eastern city of Narowal.Mr Iqbal had just attended a rally in the Punjab city when he was hit at least once in the arm. He was taken to hospital and his life is not in danger.
The attacker was arrested and is being questioned, officials said. The motive for the shooting is not yet clear.
Pakistan is due to hold a general election on 15 July.
Mr Iqbal is a senior member of the governing Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).
How did the shooting happen?
A senior government source told Reuters news agency that early information suggested Mr Iqbal had been returning from a meeting with a Christian group.
“We are not sure whether it has got anything to do with the motive,” the source said. “We will know only after investigation of the attacker.”
Mr Iqbal was shot in the right arm, Punjab government spokesman Malik Ahmed Khan told AFP news agency.
“The attacker was about to fire a second shot when police and people in the meeting overpowered him,” he said.
Mr Iqbal was rushed to a local hospital for surgery and then transferred by helicopter to the Services Institute hospital in Lahore.
He later took to Twitter to reassure supporters and to ask for prayers. – BBC
