Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz on Sunday escaped an attack on his car by a crowd in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Darra Adamkhel area.

In a tweet, the minister said he was returning from his native Kohat, where he had gone in connection with Sunday's local government elections, when he was "attacked" and fired upon by a crowd.

"[I] miraculously remained safe, though [my] driver was injured who was administered medical aid," Faraz wrote, thanking the people for their wishes.

Earlier, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also said Faraz's car had been fired upon in Darra Adamkhel. He said while Faraz had remained safe in the incident, his driver had been taken to hospital with critical injuries.

"[We] strongly condemn this attack," Chaudhry tweeted.

When approached, Kohat Division Regional Police Officer DIG Tahir Ayub told Dawn.com that Faraz's car had been stoned during a protest and denied that firing had taken place.

He said Faraz's vehicle had passed from the area when some groups that oppose the merger of tribal areas with KP were staging a protest. The protesters threw stones at the minister's car but he remained safe.

According to DIG Ayub, Faraz was accompanied by police squads that safely took him out of the situation.

Local police also denied that the minister had come under a gun attack, saying his driver was injured after protesters threw stones at his car.