Independent candidate Rehan Zeb gunned down in Bajaur district

BAJAUR: Independent candidate Rehan Zeb Khan was gunned down in Bajaur district on Wednesday, the police said.

Khan, who was contesting elections for NA-8 and PK-22 seats, fell victim to unidentified assailants during his election campaign in the Sadiqabad Phatak Bazar area of the tribal district.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken notice of the incident and has requested a report from the provincial chief secretary and Inspector General Police (IGP), urging them to take strong action against those responsible for the attack.

This tragic event occurs against the backdrop of heightened terrorist attacks, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces in recent months. Concerns have been raised about the deteriorating security situation in the country, with some lawmakers even proposing a delay in the polls due to security threats, given the more than 128 million voters.

In a separate incident on the same day, the Awami National Party (ANP) faced an attack in Balochistan’s Chaman city, resulting in the death of a party worker named Zahoor Ahmed. ANP workers, engaged in electioneering activities in the PB-50 constituency, were targeted by assailants.

Meanwhile, a hand grenade attack on the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) election office in Quetta’s Sariab Road left three people injured. Another hand grenade targeted the Bilawal Bhutto-led party’s election office in Mangochar, Kalat, but no injuries were reported.

The caretaker Home Minister of Balochistan, Zubair Jamali, condemned the attacks, emphasizing that such incidents would not diminish the public’s determination against terrorism.

The current electoral season has witnessed an increase in violence against election activities and candidates, with previous incidents targeting rallies and resulting in casualties.

Earlier, a blast targeted a rally of the former ruling party in Balochistan’s Sibi, leading to the loss of four lives. The month of January has been marked by unfortunate incidents, with Rehan being the latest independent candidate to lose his life before the polls, following the killings of Shah Khalid in Swabi district and Kaleemullah Khan in North Waziristan.

The former ruling party has called on authorities to ensure the safety and security of its candidates and to bring the perpetrators of these heinous attacks to justice. Additionally, the ECP has taken notice of these incidents and demanded a report from the relevant authorities, instructing them to take stern action against those responsible.