PESHAWAR: Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Barrister Haroon Bilour was among at least 14 people martyred in a suicide blast at a corner meeting in Peshawar late Tuesday, police said.
The explosion took place in Yaka Toot area of the provincial capital, where the corner meeting was underway.
It occurred as Haroon arrived at the stage to address supporters. He was contesting the election from PK-78 Peshawar.
Haroon was son of Bashir Ahmed Bilour, a senior ANP figure who was himself martyred in a suicide blast in Peshawar in 2012.
Haroon was taken to hospital after he was critically injured in the blast, however, the election hopeful succumbed to his wounds shortly afterwards.
The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) confirmed that it was a suicide blast.
The explosion left over 30 others injured, who were immediately whisked to different hospitals.
At least five wounded persons are said to be in critical condition at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital.
‘Weakness of security institutions’
Condemning the terrorist attack, Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Mohammad Raza termed it a “weakness of security institutions.”
He said that the attack was a conspiracy to against transparent elections, noting that the provincial governments were ordered to provide fool-proof security to all candidates.
Caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk and heads of various political parties denounced the attack on ANP corner meeting.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has expressed sorrow over the deaths of Haroon Bilour and other ANP workers. In his message on Twitter, Khan condemned the terrorist attack on ANP corner meeting.
The PTI chief called for provision of security to all political parties and their candidates during their election campaigns.
