SWAT: An explosion took place near the vehicle of Awami National Party (ANP) leader Mumtaz Ali Khan in the Shakardara area of Tehsil Matta, Swat, on Wednesday.
According to police, the blast caused slight damage to the vehicle; however, the ANP leader remained safe.
According to the District Police Officer (DPO) of Swat, the explosive device had been planted along the roadside and was detonated remotely as Khan’s vehicle passed by. Following the incident, police contingents rushed to the site, cordoned off the area, and launched an investigation while collecting evidence from the scene.
Further details of the explosion are awaited as to whether the incident is related to terrorism or personal animosity. However, the party and its leaders have remained a primary target of terrorism in Pakistan particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) for the past many years. Scores of its workers and leaders, including senior figures, have been assassinated in suicide bombings and targeted attacks. Among the most notable victims was Bashir Ahmad Bilour, a respected ANP leader who was martyred in a suicide blast in Peshawar in 2012 while campaigning for peace.
Despite suffering immense human and political losses, the ANP has continued to uphold its anti-terror stance and commitment to a peaceful, pluralistic Pakistan. The party’s leaders, such as Asfandyar Wali Khan and Mian Iftikhar Hussain, have repeatedly called for unity against militancy and for strengthening state institutions to combat extremism.
