Former Senator Hidayatullah Khan was killed along with four others in a deadly improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on Wednesday. Malakand Regional Police Officer Muhammad Ali Khan Gandapur confirmed to Dawn.com that the IED attack targeted Khan’s car in the Damadola area. The blast resulted in five fatalities, with the bodies transported to the District Headquarters Hospital Bajaur, according to Dr. Naseeb Gul, the hospital’s medical superintendent.
Bajaur District Police Officer Sajjad Ahmad reported that the bomb disposal unit is investigating the incident, with more details expected after their assessment. Khan was on his way to a by-election campaign in Damadola when the attack occurred. The attack has not yet been claimed by any group.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack and has demanded a detailed report from the police authorities. “All aspects of the incident should be investigated and a report should be submitted,” he stated. KP government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, and several other political leaders expressed their condolences and strongly condemned the attack.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry also condemned the attack. Chaudhry emphasized the importance of not being discouraged by such cowardly acts, asserting that the martyrdom of Hidayatullah Khan and others will not be in vain. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Senator Sherry Rehman highlighted the need for a united stance against terrorism and expressed solidarity with the victims’ families.
Awami National Party (ANP) President Aimal Wali Khan criticized the security agencies, questioning their accountability in the incident. He stressed the need for strict punishment for those involved in the attack. Hidayatullah Khan, who joined PTI in 2018, came from a prominent political family, with his father being former MNA Haji Bismillah Khan and his elder brother former KP governor Shaukatullah Khan.
Hidayatullah Khan served as an independent senator from March 2018 to March 2024. Earlier this year, he submitted a resolution urging the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Supreme Court to delay general elections due to increasing security threats against candidates. The tragic incident underscores the ongoing security challenges in the region.
