Ex-minister among 15 injured in bomb blast

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CHARSADDA, Jan 12: A former provincial minister and ANP leader, his son and 13 others were injured when a remote-controlled bomb hit his motorcade near Khan Garhi bridge on Saturday, police said.

Bashir Khan Umarzai was on his way to Umarzai area after appearing in a Charsadda court. His motorcade of nine vehicles was near Khan Garhi bridge when the roadside bomb went off. The double-cabin vehicle in which Mr Umarzai was travelling skidded off the road because of the impact of the explosion. Four other vehicles were also damaged.

Mr Umarzai, his son Khalil Bashir Khan, former tehsil nazim Haji Zaffarullah Khan, former nazim Faridullah Khan, Asimullah Khan, Qalandar Shah, Nasrullah, Lal Bahdar, ASI Samiullah, a female passerby and five others were injured.

The wounded were taken to the DHQ hospital Charsadda from where they were shifted to Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar.

The bomb disposal unit personnel said 3 kilograms of explosive material was used in the bomb kept in a school bag.

After the incident, police sealed the area and launched manhunt for suspects.

Mr Khalil Bashir lodged an FIR against the brothers of a former MPA, the late Alam Zeb Umarzai — Arshad Umarzai and Khurshid Umarzai — and others.

Mr Khalil Bashir told the police that gunshots were also fired on their convoy after the blast.

The sources said that the two families had an old enmity between them.

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