Electioneering marred by violence
TTP claims responsibility for the suicide attack | election for PK-99 has been postponed
INP
DERA ISMAIL KHAN
Former minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate Sardar Ikram Khan Gandapur was killed in a bomb blast near his car in DI Khan on Sunday.
The election for PK-99 has been postponed by the election commission after his death was announced.
Gandapur, who was the PTI’s candidate from PK-99, was initially injured along with 10 others in the attack in Kulachi tehsil, said rescue officials. They were taken to District Headquarters Hospital DI Khan. Three policemen are said to also have been injured.
Police said Gandapur sustained serious wounds along with 10 others in a suicide blast near his vehicle in Kulachi area of DI Khan.
They were shifted to District Headquarters Hospital where the PTI leader was initially stated to be in critical condition, but later succumbed to his injuries. His driver was also killed in the attack.
By about 1500hrs, his remains were taken for a postmortem to the DHQ, said DPO Zahoor Afridi.
A suicide bomber blew himself up near the vehicle of Ikram Khan Gandapur as he left his house for election campaign, district police chief Zaheer Afridi said.
A large contingent of security personnel swarmed the blast site and cordoned it off for security purposes.
A mutilated body was found near the vehicle. It is feared that it was a suicide bomber. Police cordoned off the area.
The former minister is in the run for a provincial assembly seat (PK-99). He remained provincial agricultural minister in the previous government of the party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
