Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Fazlur Rehman convoy came under fire at Dera Ismail Khan’s Yarik interchange.
The party spokesperson told the media that the seasoned politician remained unharmed.
The attack took place near the toll plaza while Fazl was traveling through DI Khan. Security alerts for the JUI-F was already issued.
In September, a blast in Balochistan’s Mastung area injured senior JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah and 10 others.
Furthermore, in July, a suicide blast during a JUI-F workers’ convention in Bajaur’s Khar claimed the lives of at least 40 party workers.
Fazl, himself, voiced concerns on several occasions about holding elections amid the “unstable” security conditions in certain parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
In a press conference held in Islamabad on December 5, Fazl raised questions about the feasibility of conducting polls in areas like Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, and Lakki Marwat, citing a lack of police presence and an atmosphere of unrest.
Fazl’s concerns gain significance in light of the Supreme Court of Pakistan’s directive to the caretaker government to ensure timely elections, cautioning against any postponement of the scheduled polls set for February 8, 2024.
The political experts termed it one of the indications of the election delay. Targeting a party with resilient street power will be more meaningful in the eye of political pundits who see chances for delay in election as more strong since the caretaker set up has the appetite.
The Election Commission is perhaps adhered with its schedule but a major political party—Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf decried its double standards.
According to the PTI, almost 90 per cent of the nomination papers of PTI’s important leaders including Imran Khan were rejected, 100% of the nomination papers of other parties were accepted.
