- Hadayat Ullah’s car targeted when was on way for a by-election campaign in Damadola
- CTD and police thwart a major terrorism plot in Orakzai district
BAJAUR/PESHAWAR: Former Senator Hadayat Ullah along with three other was killed on Wednesday when their car was targeted with an improvised explosive device (IED) Bajaur’s Damadola area.
The police confirmed the killings and said that Hidayatullah Khan’s car was targeted through a remote-control bomb.
The former senator went to Tehsil Mamond for election activities in connection with the by-poll.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bakht Munir confirmed the incident, saying that a remote controlled device hit the car of ex-Senator Hadayat Ullah while travelling with his companions.
Malakand Regional Police Officer Muhammad Ali Khan Gandapur also confirmed the deaths, saying the former senator’s car was targeted with an IED attack in Bajaur’s Damadola area.
The RPO said that no one had claimed responsibility for the attack as of yet.
Bajaur District Police Officer Sajjad Ahmad said that the bomb disposal unit was carrying out investigation and the situation would be made clearer after its report.
He added that the former senator was on the way for by-election campaign in Damadola he was targeted.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the incident and summoned a report from police authorities.
“All aspects of the incident should be investigated and a report should be submitted,” he was quoted as saying in a statement.
KP government spokesperson Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif offered prayers for the deceased and said: “Such cowardly attacks cannot dampen our spirits.”
Condemnations pour in
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his deep grief and sorrow over the deaths of former Senator Hidayatullah and other people who lost their lives in a remote-controlled bomb blast in Bajaur.
While strongly condemning the terrorist incident, the president expressed condolences with the bereaved families, President Secretariat Press Wing said in a press release.
President Zardari also prayed for the departed souls and for the bereaved families to bear the losses with fortitude.
Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, Deputy Chairman Syedaal Khan, house leader Ishaq Dar and opposition leader Shibli Faraz also condemned the attack.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi too strongly condemned the lives lost in the blast.
KP Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry condemned the attack, saying that it was very unfortunate.
“We will not be discouraged by such cowardly attacks. The martyrdom of the former senator and others will not go in vain,” he said, extending his condolences to the relatives of the three.
“Ending the monster of terrorism should be the agreed agenda of all the democratic parties of the country,” PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said while responding to the attack.
“Senator Hidayatullah always highlighted the problems of former Fata in the House. Tribal areas have been deprived of a strong voice. The PPP stands in solidarity with the family members of senator Hidayatullah and we are with them in their demand for the end of terrorism and justice,” said PPP Senator Sherry Rehman.
Awami National Party (ANP) President Aimal Wali Khan also condemned the attack and criticised security agencies, asking if they would answer for the incident.
“Just a few days before the by-elections, such incidents are a question mark on security in Bajaur and a complete failure of the security agencies. ANP strongly condemns the cowardly attack and demands that the perpetrators and facilitators involved in the incident be strictly punished,” he said in a post on X.
Hidayatullah joined the PTI in 2018, a move which was resented by local party activists. His father was former MNA Haji Bismillah Khan while his elder brother was former KP governor Shaukatullah Khan.
According to the Senate website, he was an independent senator from March 2018 to March 2024.
CTD, police foil ‘major’ terror plot in KP
Meanwhile, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) and police thwarted a major terrorism plot in the Orakzai district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Wednesday.
According to a CTD spokesman, the suspects were planning to carry out terrorism activities in the region, but the timely operation prevented a potential catastrophe.
The CTD said that the joint operation resulted in the seizure of a large cache of weapons, ammunition, and explosives, including rocket launchers, RPGs, hand grenades, and bullets.
A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to apprehend the culprits and dismantle the terrorist network.
