PESHAWAR: Police in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province confirmed on Wednesday former National Assembly lawmaker Mohsin Dawar was targeted by a group of unidentified gunmen in North Waziristan tribal district while carrying out election activities but remained unharmed in the attack.
Political parties and candidates have kicked off their election campaigns amid mounting security concerns ahead of the February 8 national polls in the country.
The situation is particularly difficult for politicians contesting the electoral contest from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where a workers’ convention of the Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam (JUI-F) party was attacked last year.
The JUI-F also called for election delay after the convoy of its top leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, came under fire while traveling on Islamabad-Dera Ismail Khan motorway on Sunday.
“Mohsin Dawar’s vehicle was targeted while his convoy reached between two mountains, but the police party escorting him exchanged fire with the gunmen and the convoy remained safe,” District Police Officer of North Waziristan Rokhanzeb Khan said while speaking to Arab News.
“One person is said to have received slight injuries, and some bullets hit the front and side mirrors of his bullet proof vehicle,” he continued.
Soon after receiving information of the incident, a police contingent was rushed to the crime scene to secure the area.
A large number of people also came out after the announcement of the attack from local mosques to express support for the former lawmaker, the police officer added.
Former Pakistani lawmaker Mohsin Dawar escapes unharmed in attack during election campaign in North Waziristan
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Former Pakistani lawmaker Mohsin Dawar escapes unharmed in attack during election campaign in North Waziristan
- The incident happened amid mounting security concerns ahead of the February 8 national polls in the country
- Dawar was in a bullet-proof vehicle and escorted by a police contingent while carrying out his election campaign
Pakistan police arrest 12 suspected militants in operations across Punjab
- CTD says suspects linked to RAW were planning attacks on sensitive sites and worship places
- Raids in Lahore, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur yielded explosives, IEDs, detonators, weapons
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s counterterrorism police said on Monday 12 suspected militants allegedly linked to India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were arrested in coordinated intelligence-based operations across three cities in Punjab province.
The arrests come as authorities repeatedly accuse external networks, including Indian spy agencies, of backing militants involved in such violence.
The raids were carried out in Lahore, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur, where police said they recovered weapons, explosives, detonators, seven improvised explosive devices (IEDs), safety fuses, mobile phones and cash from the suspects.
A Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) spokesperson said the group was planning attacks on sensitive installations and places of worship.
“The operation was initiated after investigators traced a Facebook ID named Adil, reportedly being operated from India by RAW handlers,” CTD said in a statement.
“The terrorists had been recording videos of sensitive locations and worship places and sending these videos to RAW operatives via WhatsApp ... According to officials, all the detained suspects were receiving financial support from RAW.”
The CTD said cases have been registered against all 12 suspects and further investigation is underway.
Pakistan has witnessed an uptick in militant attacks in recent years, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southwestern Balochistan provinces, where security agencies blame groups including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA).
