Shaukat Aziz, Pakistan's designated prime minister, on Friday night narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in a suicide bomb attack, intensifying security concerns surrounding key Pakistani leaders.

Mr Aziz, a former banker of international repute who served as finance minister for the past five years, and was last month chosen to take charge as prime minister after contesting a constituency of the parliament, was unhurt, senior officials said. But Mr Aziz's driver and the suicide bomber were among the dead, eyewitnesses said.