A suicide bomber killed a secular party leader and 11 of their supporters at an election rally in the north-western city of Peshawar late Tuesday.
According to local police, the attack targeted a rally for Haroon Ahmed Bilour, an Awami National Party (ANP) candidate for a provincial seat.
The explosion occurred shortly after the politician arrived at the campaign event, where he was due to address his supporters.
Bilour was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he eventually succumbed to his wounds. Another 35 people were reportedly injured in the attack, including Bilour’s 16-year-old son. Haroon Bilour’s party governed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from its capital Peshawar between 2008 and 2013.
His father, Bashir Ahmed Bilour, a senior ANP leader, was also killed by a suicide blast in the same city back in 2012. Pakistan will hold national and provincial elections on July 25.