On Thursday, in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi, a local leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) named Shah Khalid was fatally shot by unidentified assailants. The attackers, riding motorcycles, opened fire on Khalid’s vehicle in the Swabi Ada area before fleeing the scene. Upon notification, the police promptly arrived, gathered evidence, and transported the body to a local hospital. An investigation into the incident has been launched.
This tragic event followed another deadly shooting the day before, in Tapi village of Miranshah Tehsil, North Waziristan district, where three individuals, including an independent candidate for the provincial assembly, lost their lives. Among the victims was Malik Kaleemullah, an independent candidate for the upcoming elections from the PK-104 constituency, as confirmed by local law enforcement. The attack occurred as Kaleemullah and his companions were returning home.
Additionally, on Tuesday, Maulana Rehan Jameel, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) candidate for NA-46, was injured in a gun attack in Rawalpindi. The incident took place when Maulana Rehan intervened in an abduction case involving a boy named Tayyab and his abductor, Salman. During the confrontation, Jameel was shot and injured by armed men, who subsequently escaped.
Furthermore, on January 3, another JUI-F candidate survived a bomb attack in Bajaur when his vehicle was targeted with a remote-controlled device in Mamund tehsil of the Malakand division. The intended target, JUI-F nominee Qari Khairullah for the PK-19 constituency, remained unharmed despite the damage to his vehicle.
