The former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal’s (MMA) Candidate from NA-35 Bannu Akram Khan Durrani survived a suicide attack in Bannu on Friday, triggering another series of condemnation as Tuesday’s blast in Peshawar had already claimed multiple lives including of Awami National Party’s (ANP) Haroon Bilour.
The is second terrorism attack in three days over election campaigning in KPK as ANP leader Haroon Bilour lost his life along with 24 others on Tuesday night when his corner meeting was attacked by suicide bomber. 12 dead bodies were shifted to Nawab Ghous Bux memorial hospital Mastung from Daringarh, said local journalists.
The Regional Police Officer (RPO) Bannu Karim Khan told that the blast occurred when a convoy of Akram Durrani was on its way to an election rally in Bannu. However, he added, that the MMA Candidate remained safe in the blast.
The RPO said that the blast occurred 50 meters away from the public gathering. He said that 40 police personal had been deployed around the gathering while a walk through gate was also installed.
Hospital sources said that four persons were martyred in the blast whereas 34 people including police personnel received injuries. They were rushed to District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital in Bannu for medical treatment.
Akram Durrani is a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader and contesting the upcoming election 2018 from NA-35 Bannu against the Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan on MMA’s platform.
Meanwhile, the political leadership including the Caretaker Prime Minister Justice (retd) Nasir-ul-Mulk, the Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan, and the Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and the Co-Chairman PPP Asif Ali Zardari among others strongly condemned the suicide blast in Bannu, and urged the interim setup to ensure the security of political leaders especially when election are around the corner and political parties are engaged in electioneering.
Condemn terrorist attack on Akram Durrani. Heart goes out to families who continue to lose loved ones. Clarity and ability to create and maintain consensus on countering violent extremism would be the number one priority for any other country facing such consistent autocracies.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) July 13, 2018
Strongly condemn the terrorist attack on Akram Durrani & his convoy. There seems to be a conspiracy to sabotage the 25 July elections but the people of Pakistan will not allow any design intended to target these historic elections to succeed.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) July 13, 2018
#Election2018 under threat especially in KPK political parties must be vigilant and resilient no surrender to threat of terrorism I am in Peshawar with Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour sb thousands of people coming and meeting him for condolence despite threats https://t.co/JvpxYofvhb
— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) July 13, 2018
This is getting serious. Elections are already reeling with unprecedented controversy over pre-polls rigging charges are becoming a law and order nightmare. Akram Khan Durrani is contesting against Imran Khan from NA-35 pic.twitter.com/qP244xembd
— Syed Talat Hussain (@TalatHussain12) July 13, 2018
Earlier on July 11, ANP’s Provincial Information Secretary Haroon Bashir Bilour and 20 other people were killed when a suicide blast ripped through a party’s corner meeting in Yakatoot area of Peshawar.
#Bannu once again bloodshed on Pakhtoon soil ,o,nce again terrorist regrouping and targeting main political leadership in crucial time of campaigns ,this certainly is not a good omen !
— Palwasha Abbas (@Palwasha_Abbas) July 13, 2018
On July 10, 2018, Haroon Bilour – whose father Bashir Ahmed Bilour had also lost his life in December 12 terrorist attack – was among 20 people who were martyred as a result of a suicide blast at ANP’s Corner Meeting held in Peshawar’s Yakatoot area on Tuesday night as part of electioneering for PK-78 Peshawar-XIII election. Haroon Bilour was ANP’s Candidate from the said Constituency.
ANP and MMA are two major parties contesting elections against PTI in KPK and circumstances indicate that only PTI will be in position to gear up its electioning in KPK. It may be mentioned that Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) officially announced in 2013 elections that it would not allow ANP and PPP to contest elections from KPK. Now TTP has again taken the responsibility of suicide bombing on ANP corner meeting.
