ISLAMABAD, July 30(Xinhuanet)-- Pakistan's Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, widely seen as the country's next prime minister, escaped unhurt in an assassination attempt Friday near Islamabad, local media reported.

    The private GEO TV channel reported that at least five people were killed, including the driver of the minister's ride, and 25 others injured in the alleged suicide bombing attack.

    Aziz was on his way back to Islamabad from the town of Fateh Jang, west of the capital in Punjab province, when two bombs exploded, causing the tragedy, said GEO.

    The minister attended an elections rally in the town, Mushahid Hussain, secretary general of the ruling party of Pakistan Muslim League-QA (PML-QA), was quoted as saying.

    A senator, Aziz has to win a National Assembly (NA) seat if he is to take up the PM's post, though he has been named by the ruling party as the PM-in-waiting in June, when former prime minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali stepped down and was replaced by Chaudhry Shujat Hussain, an assumedly make-shift choice.

    More detail about the attack has yet to be reached. Enditem