Attack takes places during a rally in Lower Dir. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
The blast took place as the brother of a provincial assembly candidate for the PPP went door to door to canvass for votes in Dir, police said.
"It was a remote-controlled bomb, it went off when the brother of a provincial assembly candidate Zamin Khan was campaigning," police officer Mehtab Khan told AFP.
Several injured people were shifted to a nearby hospital.
Khan is one of the strong candidates contesting for PK-96 together with the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) MPA Sayed Gul, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl's (JUI-F’s) Muhammad Shakir Ullah Khan and the Awami National Party’s ( ANP) Naeem Jan.
Earlier during the day,a blast during an election campaign of the JUI-F killed at least eleven people, while 35 others were injured in Hangu.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Tuesday's attacks.
These attacks raise to 107 the number of people killed in attacks on politicians and political parties since April 11, according to an AFP tally.
Meanwhile, elections have been postponed in three constituencies where candidates have been killed. Those constituencies are in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, in Pakistan’s biggest city of Karachi and in southern Hyderabad.
Background
The PPP, Awami national Party (ANP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have been under attack by the Taliban ahead of the general elections on May 11.
The PPP has witnessed a fair share of these attacks.
A day earlier, there was an attack on the election office of the PPP candidate in the area of Shabqadar which injured one person and damaged property.
The residence of the PPP candidate Zulfiqar Afghani was targeted by a bomb blast on the roof of the house on April 15.
On April 27, three people lost their lives and over 20 others were wounded when a powerful bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded near PPP’s corner meeting in Lyari’s Old Kumhar Wara.
TTP has claimed responsibility for all the attacks since April 23.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) believes this is part of a bigger game plan. “Politico-religious parties and right-wing political groups are conniving with the establishment to damage and weaken left-wing parties,” PPP Senator Raza Rabbani told The Express Tribune in an exclusive interview.
Taliban militants have stepped up attacks on politicians in an attempt to sabotage the first democratic transition of power in the political history of Pakistan.
The leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had earlier said that the group would continue to attack politicians from the ANP, MQM and PPP.
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@RAW is WAR: Joke all you can, but RAW sponsored TTP or anti Pakistan Taliban's days can be counted. Once NATO is out of Pakistan the real Mujahideen will take care of these pseudo Talibaans. You better start worrying about the time when the real Talibaans become active in your own country.
@Muhammad: @Pakistani Ostrich: I agree with both of you. You are right "13 people were killed in KPK in two bomb blasts whereas in Pakistan people were praying for two stitches of Imran khan to heal quickly." Some rich and powerful loved ones of Taliban are safe but there is a bigger judge who is not blind to what is happening. Even before PTI could win, the professional leaders like Zia's cabinet minister Hashmi and Qureshi are making sure that they can sideline IK.
13 people were killed in KPK in two bomb blasts whereas in Pakistan people were praying for two stitches of Imran khan to heal quickly.
IK is an apologist for the TTP.
@Mahnoor:
Remove your pro-Taliban goggles and try reason instead of rhetoric. The fifth line talks about an attack on JUI-F meeting and the casualties involved.
any attach on any political party is condemned. But why ppl are talking bad about PTI here - so its PTI's fault why they are not being targeted...c'mon. PML (N) is also a right wing party and was targeted in such attacks.
Thank god PTI candidates are sparred by the 'good' taliban. Long live IK and long live TTP!
No mention of TTP attacks on JUIF in this report, but of course mention of attacks on ANP, PPP and MQM. All such attacks are to be condemned irrespective of politics.
@RAW is WAR: Pls stop making jokes. Agreed that there has been almost one or two bomb blasts everyday in Pakistan. But unfortunately it is innocents civilians who are getting killed. Lets hope all the militants get wiped out and the lives of innocent people protected. It really painful for any human to see so many innocent lives being slaughtered by the fanatics in Pakistan. May the souls of the dead rest in peace.
People of Pakistan! lets come out and condemn violence unreservedly and vote people out who you do not want to see in power instead of providing space for those who are killing them. Peace, Respect and Tolerate.
I am proud that Our hero IK and followers are safe due to well friendship with Terrorism..other parties should be adopt same policy if they want to remain safe/
@muhammad Asif PTI: You mean all the candidates who escape unhurt are not innocent?
Pakistan needs a good ERP software system to keep track of all these bomb blasts. India can help.
i am sure only innocent people would be died and candidates must be escaped unhurt. O God protect us