PTI candidate shot dead by unknown assailiants in KP's Bajaur

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate from NA-8 Bajaur, Rehan Zeb Khan, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district on Wednesday.

The incident occured in the Siddiqabad Phatak Bazar area of the tribal district, SHO Rashid Khan said.

According to police, three more people were also injured in the attack, who were transported to the hospital.

Khan, who was also vying for the provincial assembly seat PK-22, was actively campaigning for the upcoming general elections at Siddiqabad Gate when assailants targeted him.

This incident is the second assault on PTI's election campaign within a 24-hour period, following a bomb explosion at a PTI rally in Sibi the previous day. 

The Sibi incident resulted in four casualties and five injuries, as reported by both police and witnesses.

Amid a surge in terrorist attacks across the nation ahead of elections, the killing of the young PTI candidate sent shockwaves through social media.

Human rights activist Nida Kirmani stated on ‘X’, “The murder of Rehan Zeb Khan, a young PTI candidate, is both tragic and horrific, and we know very well who is behind this.”

The murder of Rehan Zeb Khan, a young PTI candidate, is both tragic and horrific, and we know very well who is behind this. https://t.co/DgHkVgNdYq

— Nida Kirmani (@NidaKirmani) January 31, 2024

Journalist Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud wrote, “Very disturbing news. Rehan was not only an active member of a political party but also a vocal and prominent rights activist in the tribal region.”

Very disturbing news. Rehan was not only an active member of a political party but also a vocal and prominent rights activist in the tribal region. https://t.co/dlD084eoaE

— Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud (@IhsanTipu) January 31, 2024