ISLAMABAD: A teenage suicide bomber killed a member of the provincial assembly of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province (NWFP) early Tuesday.
The attacker walked unchallenged into Shamshir Ali Khan’s residence in Kabal region of Swat Valley and blew up himself during an Eid Al-Adha get-together.
Senior police official Ali Khan said the politician had been sitting on the lawn in front of his house receiving guests and local constituents when the attacker rushed up to him.
“His brother rushed to save the lawmaker but the bomber blew himself up before he could be prevented,” the police official said.
Khan’s brothers Wakil Ali and Rehmat Ali were seriously injured in the blast.
Police earlier said Khan’s brother was also killed, but later added that he was in fact badly wounded.
The force of the blast damaged parts of the house and grounds. Bloodstains could be seen marking the building, witnesses said.
Spin Zada, a doctor at a local government hospital, confirmed that the bodies of Khan, 59, and the bomber were brought to the hospital.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Tuesday’s attack would not derail the government’s efforts against the insurgents. “Such reprehensible acts can never defeat our resolve to root out terrorism and militancy,” he said.
The slain lawmaker was a member of the Awami National Party, a dominant partner in a coalition that rules the North West Frontier Province, and has been a vocal supporter of army offensives against militants in the region.
Party officials said Khan — a lawyer by profession — had received death threats from the Taleban ahead of the military offensive. Police said at least 11 others were wounded in the blast in Kanju town, about 30 km northwest of Swat’s main hub Mingora.
Regional police chief Idrees Khan said the bomber’s head was severed from his body and he appeared to be about 16 years old.
“People were coming to exchange Eid greetings with him when a man came and blew himself up,” said Farooq Khan, a relative of the lawmaker.
Police said the bomber’s head and parts of his body were found in the reception area of Ali’s home. Militants had destroyed another of his homes earlier this year.
He said the overall security situation in Swat Valley remained under control despite the continued threat from militants.
“The Taleban have been struggling to reassert their presence since their defeat,” he said. “This incident will not shatter the faith and nerves of the people of Swat.”
— With input from agencies
