A Pakistan Muslim League-N candidate for Pakistan's general election was shot dead and nine other party workers were injured in an attack by unidentified gunmen in Lahore on Monday.

Chaudhry Asif Ashraf, a candidate of the PML-N contesting elections to the Punjab provincial assembly, died after being rushed to hospital.

His death sparked tension in parts of Lahore, but senior PML-N leaders like Shahbaz Sharif appealed to party workers to remain calm.

PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan was headed for a "controversial election", but the party had decided to contest the polls so that the field was not left open for forces aligned with President Pervez Musharraf.

The attack on Ashraf came hours after another person was killed and four others were injured in an incident of firing by unknown gunmen at a polling office of the PML-N at Gawalmandi in Lahore.

Police said that incident was the result of old enmity.