TAXILA, Aug 1: The election campaign of the ruling party candidate Shaukat Aziz and political activities in NA-59 would continue despite the recent terrorist attack on the finance minister's life.

This was stated by District Nazim Maj (retired) Tahir Sadiq while talking to party activists and local leaders at Hassanabdal on Sunday. The Nazim and local leaders met to finalize the arrangements of the public meeting of Mr Aziz scheduled to be held at Hassanabdal on August 10. He said political activities in the constituency would continued according the schedule already announced by the party leaders.

ATTACK CONDEMNED: MNA Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Punjab's parliamentary secretary for revenue MPA Chaudhry Kamran Aslam have condemned the attempt on the life of Mr Aziz at Fatehjang.

Talking to this correspondent, Mr Khan said such acts would not deter the government from ensuing its reform agenda. Mr Aziz will continue to strive for the progress and prosperity of the nation, he added.

Mr Aslam termed the attack on the finance minister a bid to destabilize the country. He said it was a brutal act in which dozen of innocent people were killed. Both the leaders expressed their grief over the loss of innocent lives in the terrorist attack.

SMUGGLE BID FOILED: Customs personnel foiled an attempt to smuggle huge quantity of goods including cloths and automobile spear parts from the NWFP to Punjab. The customs staff, on a tip-off, stopped a Rawalpindi-bound passenger bus coming from Peshawar near Hassanabdal and recovered about 6,000-meter imported cloth, auto parts, six diesel engines and many more imported products.

ALIENS HELD: The Taxila police arrested two aliens and send them to jail. Police sources said during a campaign against illegal immigrants and aliens, two people having Afghan nationality were arrested. Those who were arrested were identified as Masti Gul and Zamrud Khan.