Pakistan picked up four early wickets after England were set 145 runs for a series-levelling win to set up an intriguing finish to the second Test at Abu Dhabi Stadium.
Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar took 6-62 in his comeback Test to put his team within sight of a win only for Pakistan to hit back defiantly, dismissing four top order batsmen to leave England struggling at 4-39 at tea on the fourth day.
Andrew Strauss (23) and Matt Prior (nought) were at the crease with England needing another 106 runs to win, after both teams fought hard in an action packed second session on Saturday.
In the penultimate over before tea, left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman trapped Kevin Pietersen (one) and two balls later bowled Eoin Morgan (nought) to raise hopes of an unlikely win for Pakistan.
Pakistan lead the three-Test series 1-0 after winning the first Test by ten wickets in Dubai.
Pakistan opened the bowling with off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez who responded well by catching Alastair Cook (seven) off his own bowling after England had batted cautiously to 21 by the 15th over.
Bell, promoted to number three after Jonathan Trott failed to take the field due to a stomach upset, was all at sea against master spinner Saeed Ajmal and his tentative push went through his legs to hit the stumps.
Bell made only three.
Pietersen, who had 16 runs in the series, managed one more before Rehman trapped him and in the same over had Morgan bowled to dent England’s hopes of a victory.
Earlier, Pakistan lost their last six wickets with the addition of 89 runs after resuming at 4-125, with all hopes pinned on Azhar Ali (68) and Asad Shafiq (43).
Panesar took three of those wickets to finish with his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests.
Ali hit eight boundaries during his 195-ball knock.
Rehman (10) and Ajmal (17) added an invaluable 36 for the eighth wicket before Panesar wrapped up the innings by taking the last two wickets half an hour after lunch.