PTI candidate injured in suicide blast; shots fired at JUI-F leader

Peshawar, July 22

A suicide bomber injured a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate and killed his driver and guard in Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan’s troubled Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province today, police said.

Ikramullah Gandapur, a candidate for the provincial assembly seat from PK-99 constituency, was on his way to an election meeting when the bomber targeted his vehicle.

His guard and driver were killed in the attack while he is said to be in a critical condition at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Dawn reported, citing hospital sources.

Gandapur served as the provincial agricultural minister in the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet.

He was elected through a by-election on the Dera Ismail Khan PK-67 seat, after it was vacated following the death of his brother Law Minister Israrulah Gandapur in a suicide attack.

In a separate incident, Jamiat-Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Akram Khan Durrani survived an assassination bid today when his vehicle was ambushed by unknown gunmen during election campaign in his home district Bannu, bordering North Waziristan district.

The gunmen opened indiscriminate fire on Durrani’s vehicle from the frontal side. However, he remained unhurt in the attack.

Durrani is contesting for NA-35 under the Muttahida Majlise-e-Amal (MMA) banner against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

This is the third attack on election candidates in Bannu district and second on Durrani ahead of July 25 polling.

On July 13, a attack targeting JUI-F’s central general secretary killed four persons with wounded as many as 39. Durrani, however, remained unhurt in the attack.

On the same day, 149 people, including a top nationalist leader, were killed and over 200 others injured in a powerful suicide blast in Mastung area in the troubled Balochistan province.

The security situation in Pakistan has deteriorated ahead of polls. PTI