Pakistani policemen investigating on the crime scene.—File Photo
Pakistani policemen investigating on the crime scene.—File Photo

PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) local leader, Mukaram Shah, was killed in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack in Swat's Manglawar area on Sunday whereas ANP candidate Syed Masoom Shah was injured in a bomb attack near the venue of a party rally in Charsadda.

In the first attack in Swat an apparently remotely-detonated bomb targeted the vehicle of ANP local leader and member of an anti-Taliban lashkar, Mukaram Shah, in Banjot village  of Manglawar area in Swat. The vehicle was destroyed in the blast.

In the second incident an election candidate of the ANP from PK 21, Syed Masoom Shah, was injured along with three other people in a blast that occurred near the venue of an ANP rally held in Katozai village in Charsadda's Shabqadar tehsil.

The candidate was returning from the venue of an ANP rally when the blast occurred according to local police control room sources.

Masoom Shah was also earlier injured in an attack on an ANP rally in Feb 2008.

Proscribed militant organisation Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant organisation claimed responsibility for both the remotely-detonated attacks. TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan told Dawn.com that the organisation had targeted the candidates due to the secular views of the party.

The Pakistani Taliban had earlier warned of and conducted attacks against what it calls as 'secular parties' including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and ANP.

A candidate belonging to the MQM was killed in Hyderabad last week in an attack claimed by the banned TTP organisation.

Swat valley was ruled by the Pakistani Taliban during a 2007-9 insurgency was cleared out of militancy after the armed forces conducted an operation in the area.

More over two bombs weighing 20 pounds each were defused by security forces in the Bannu district near Peshawar.

In another incident, a bomb planted on a motorcycle was defused near a Frontier Corps (FC) checkpost situated in the Chaman area near the Pak-Afghan border.

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.