Pakistan bombing kills five including former senator

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) -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.

(Reporting by Mushtaq AliWriting by Asif ShahzadEditing by Peter Graff)

---

Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

---

You May Also Be Interested In

• Ladbrokes owner Entain cuts revenue outlook after Brazil online betting ban
• Wife of Malaysia's longest-serving PM Mahathir dies aged 100
• Taiwan pushes back after Xi seeks to win over Trump on World War Two narrative