BANNU: A bomb blast near the convoy of Federal Minister for Housing and Works Akram Khan Durrani in the Nermikhel area left two people dead and three injured.

Police officials said Mr Durrani narrowly escaped the blast while an ambulance in the convoy was damaged. An employee of the health department, Ihsan Khan, died on the spot while the identity of the other deceased could not ascertained till late night.

Mohammad Rauf, Shireen Khan and driver Abid were injured and taken to District Headquarters Hospital. Police said the blast had been caused by an improvised explosive device on the road was detonated by remote control.

The federal minister is a senior leader of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), and was going home after addressing a gathering organised to welcome workers of other parties joining the JUI-F.

Akram Khan Durrani of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl narrowly escapes bomb attack

Personnel of the police other law-enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and carried out a search but no arrests were made. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The area where the explosion took place is adjacent to North Waziristan.

Mr Durrani is number two in the party hierarchy after Maulana Fazlur Rehman. He had survived an attempt on his life in 2007 when he was chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2015