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The PPP is the incumbent in this election but the security threats have forced it to curtail its campaign activities. Instead of the large, outdoor rallies that the party used to rally thousands of voters in the past, they have been relying on television and newspaper advertisements and smaller, indoor meetings with supporters.

Party officials have complained that a lack of protection means they have been left vulnerable.

“We were screaming that we need security for our candidates. We were saying that we have received threats, but no one heard our pleas, and we did not get security,” said a party spokeswoman, Sharmila Farouqi. “Now see what has happened. The son of a former prime minister has been kidnapped.”

The elder Gilani is one of the PPP’s most prominent politicians. Although his ouster from office meant he could not run in this election, the Gilani family is still heavily represented in the race. In addition to the son who was grabbed Thursday, the former prime minister has two other sons who are running for national assembly seats in the Multan district.

The former prime minister has focused his efforts on helping his sons in their election efforts.

While most of the pre-election violence has been targeted at the parties viewed as more liberal and secular, no one has been immune.

On Thursday, a bomb blew up at an election office of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in the city of Mir Ali in the North Waziristan tribal area near Afghanistan, according to two Pakistan intelligence officials. One person was killed and six others wounded, the officials said.

The party is considered more favorable to the Pakistani Taliban and has supported negotiations with the militants instead of military operations in the tribal areas.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Associated Press writers Asif Shahzad in Islamabad, Zaheer Babar in Lahore and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar contributed to this report.