World | Pakistan
Suicide attack kills legislator in Swat
Lawmaker's brother among 15 injured
- By Mohsin Ali, Correspondent
- Published: 00:00 December 2, 2009
Islamabad: A suicide bomber killed a provincial legislator Tuesday in Swat valley in northwest Pakistan, in the first such attack in the area after the military liberated it from Taliban control a few months ago.
Dr Shamsher Ali Khan was killed as a man entered the ‘hujra' or spacious guest room at his estate in Dheri village in Swat district and blew himself up, police said.
"The lawmaker was exchanging Eid Al Adha greetings with people from his constituency in Kabal area when the bomber rushed into the room and detonated explosives tied around his body," said senior police officer Qazi Farooq.
About 15 people including the brother of the lawmaker were also injured in the attack, the latest in a wave of suicide bombings in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) in recent weeks that claimed hundreds of lives.
Scores of supporters of the lawmaker thronged the local hospital where his body was brought and shouted slogans demanding arrest of the perpetrators.
Dr Khan belonged to the Awami National Party (ANP), which rules the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). Several ANP politicians have survived assassination attempts in areas other than Swat in the recent past.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who is in Germany on a visit, strongly condemned the killing of the lawmaker and vowed that the fight to root out militancy would continue.
NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain said ANP leaders and workers were sacrificing their lives for protection of the motherland. "Our jihad against militants and terrorists will continue till they are completely eliminated," he said.
The military has rid Swat and neighbouring districts of NWFP of Taliban warriors, killing more than 2,000 and arresting many.
The Swat Taliban leader Mullah Fazlullah, however, remains at large and is reported to have taken refuge in Afghanistan.
The military has said troops would remain deployed in Swat region for an unspecified period to guard against resurgence of Taliban activity.
After completing the Swat operation, the military launched a full-scale offensive in South Waziristan tribal region along the Afghn border in the middle of October.
Operations intensified
The military says it has killed hundreds of fighters of banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and taken control of its important bases. TTP militants and leaders have reportedly fled to take refuge in mountains and to the adjoining areas.
Lately, the security forces have intensified operations in some tribal areas bordering South Waziristan to subdue Taliban militants there.
Army Chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani visited troops at various places in South Waziristan at the weekend to celebrate Eid with them.
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