Bomb Blast Kills Five in Northern Pakistan, Including Former Senator

A bomb blast killed five people, including former senator Hidayatullah, in the Bajur tribal district of northern Pakistan. The incident occurred as Hidayatullah was campaigning for an upcoming election. The Pakistani Taliban denied involvement. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack.

A bomb blast killed five people including a former senator in northern Pakistan on Wednesday, police said.

The senator, Hidayatullah, was campaigning in the run-up to an election in Bajur tribal district along the Afghan border when his vehicle was hit by a remote controlled bomb, said police official Bakht Munir. It was an improvised explosive device, said another government official, Anwarul Haq.

The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is an umbrella group of Islamist and sectarian militants, denied involvement. Bajur is one of several tribal districts on the border with Afghanistan, a lawless region which has long been a safe haven for Islamist militants who operate on both sides of the border.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, said a statement from his office.