Five people including former senator killed in Bajaur bomb blast

BAJAUR: Former senator Hidayat Ullah's vehicle was targeted via a "remote-controlled" bomb, leaving the lawmaker killed along with four others in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bajaur district, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place in Bajaur’s Damadola village where the former senator's vehicle was targeted via a remote-controlled device, Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Bakht Munir said.

Hidayat, who was a former independent senator from erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), was killed in the bomb explosion along with four others, he added.

He went to Damadola village in connection with the electioneering of a candidate in the PK-22 constituency — Najeeb Ullah Khan — who is his nephew. He faced the horrific bomb attack while returning to Bajaur’s headquarters, Khar town, police said.

According to the police, Malik Irfan from the tribal district's Niag Banda area and Nazar Deen from Nawagai town were also among the deceased in the horrific explosion which completely destroyed the vehicle.

Hidayat belonged to an influential political family whose father was former National Assembly lawmaker Haji Bismillah Khan and his brother was former governor Shaukat Ullah.

He was elected as an independent senator twice — from 2012 to 2018 and 2018 to 2024 — besides serving as the Upper House's Standing Committee for Aviation's chairman and a member of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta).

The Bajaur incident drew condemnation from President Asif Ali Zardari, Senate Chairman Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi, and others.

President Zardari strongly condemned the terrorism incident and mourned for the deaths of the ex-senator and other persons in the Bajaur bomb blast. He expressed condolence with the families of the deceased persons and prayed for eternal rest of departed souls.

Senate Chairman Gilani termed it a "coward attack" and expressed sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the Bajaur incident.

In a statement posted on Senate chairman office's X account, he said that senator Hidayat Ullah has worked tirelessly for the welfare and prosperity of the people and the country which will be remembered forever.

He also condemned the terrorism incident and vowed that the culprits behind the attack would be taken to justice soon.

Interior Minister Naqvi also condemned the Bajaur bomb blast and extended condolences to the families of the victims.

The latest incident occurred in the KP’s tribal district after Pakistan witnessed a spike in terrorist attacks, specifically in areas bordering Afghanistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces which were attributed to banned outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

However, it is not clear yet whether the killing of the former senator is linked to terrorism.