Pakistan: Senior Leader of Imran Khan's PTI Attacked by ISI 'Undercover' Agents in Bannu

Bannu - Amid the brewing political turmoil in Pakistan, Malik Shah Mohammad Khan, a Senior leader from Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was reportedly attacked by undercover ISI officials in Bannu. The authorities confirmed the incident and mentioned that the PTI leader Malik Shah Mohammad Khan was not in the home when an explosion wreaked havoc outside his house. Two people were injured in a blast on Sunday near the house of the former provincial minister and candidate for PK-101, The News International reported. 

According to the Pakistani news outlet, the blast was caused by explosives that were planted in a motorcycle parked near the residence of the candidate. The local police, bomb disposal unit and Rescue 1122 rushed to the spot and transported the two injured to the District Headquarters Hospital. After reaching the site, the police and the officials of the bomb disposal unit cordoned off the area and started collecting pieces of evidence. A heavy contingent of police also arrived at the spot and conducted new arrests. However, it is important to note that no arrests have been made as of now, The News International reported. The Sunday explosion came amid the simmering tensions between Imran Khan's party and Pakistan's ruling regime. 

25 PTI workers arrested in Karachi 

On the same day of the attack, at least 25 workers of PTI were arrested after they clashed with police in Karachi's Teen Talwar during an election rally. According to Dawn, the Karachi police were blocking the rally stating that PTI did not obtain prior permission for holding a rally in the Red Zone. The party on the other hand said that they are being deprived of its constitutional right to campaign. “When they (the political workers) were stopped, they resorted to violence and pelted stones at police. As a result, Boat Basin SHO Riaz Niazi and several others were injured and shifted to a hospital,” South Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) South Asad Raza told Dawn. “Police have arrested 25 persons and a first information report is being registered against them,” he added. Meanwhile, the DIG confirmed the arrests and insisted that they were compelled to take action against the rally because the participants had blocked the main road in Clifton.

PTI on the other hand said that they had informed the district administration that the party would hold a rally.  PTI Karachi spokesperson Falak Almas mentioned that the party had initially planned to take out a rally from Sharea Quaideen to the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah but later hanged the venue from Seaview to Teen Talwar due to a rally which was being conducted by the Jamaat-i-Islami rally at Bagh-i-Jinnah. The party also shared a video from the rally insisting that the authorities were arresting innocent party workers.