SANJAWAL, 19 August 2004 — Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz appeared to have taken an early lead in a by-election yesterday, clearing his way to head the government weeks after surviving an assassination bid blamed on militants.

After polls closed, early unofficial results from more than a dozen polling stations in one of the two constituencies contested by Aziz showed him ahead by a big margin.

Private television channel Geo said Aziz was ahead by more than 3,000 votes from 15 of the 253 polling stations in the Attock district of central Punjab province, where he narrowly survived a suicide bombing on July 30.

Aziz, 55, designated to be prime minister by President Pervez Musharraf in June after the abrupt resignation of the incumbent, also stood in another by-election in Tharparkar, an impoverished part of the southern province of Sindh.

Aziz needs to win a seat to lead the government, something political analysts say should be a formality.

Election Commission officials said the official results from both constituencies would be announced later in the week, though the outcome should be clear by early Thursday.

Aziz, who has steered a sharp turnaround in Pakistan’s financial fortunes since taking charge after Musharraf’s 1999 military coup when the country was virtually bankrupt, waged a low-key campaign after the assassination bid.

His driver and eight others were killed in an attack officials have linked to Al-Qaeda, which is bent on deposing Musharraf for his support for the US-led war on terror.

In Sanjawal, a village in Attock on Punjab’s western fringe, many men and women voiced support for Aziz, although local guidance appeared to be a deciding factor for some.

“Our village elder Chaudhry is a supporter of Aziz, so whatever he says, we follow him,” said Nisar Ahmed. Attock Mayor Tahir Sadiq denied opposition charges that their supporters had been harassed. “We are giving full protection to all candidates and their supporters,” he told reporters.

Three opposition activists were killed on Monday in a drive-by shooting near Attock. Police were posted at polling stations across the sprawling rural constituency and security was even tighter in Tharparkar, where paramilitary forces searched vehicles and voters.

Opposing Aziz was a Hindu candidate from exiled former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party.

Several voters in Fateh Jang said they resented the ruling party’s decision to run Aziz in their district, accusing the government of a cynical manipulation of the democratic process.

“This man (Aziz) does not even come from our area. He has been imposed on us by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf,” said Zardar Khan, a driver who said he would vote for the Pakistan People’s Party candidate.

Aziz’s supporters dismissed the claim, however, saying his assumption of the premiership is in the best interest of all of Pakistan.

“Shaukat Aziz will improve our economy. He is the best choice,” said Haji Zafar Iqbal, who turned up at a polling station in Fateh Jang to cast his vote. Aziz’s election must be certified and he must be sworn in to the National Assembly.

However, the change in prime ministers would not affect Pakistan’s commitment to either the US-led war on terror or ongoing peace talks with nuclear rival India — matters that are firmly in Musharraf’s hands.

Shujaat, the caretaker prime minister, said the transfer of power to Aziz would be completed in the next “couple of days.” He said the entire election process will be transparent and fair.