A suicide bomber hit a campaign convoy in southwestern Pakistan, a police official said, killing 10 people in the second election-related attack on Friday amid tensions over ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s return ahead of July 25 elections.
Senior police official Qaim Lashari told Reuters the bomber attacked the convoy of Baluchistan provincial assembly candidate Siraj Raisani, killing 10 and wounding 35, including Raisani.
Pakistan’s caretaker government launched a crackdown on political gatherings on Friday as Sharif, who was ousted by the Supreme Court last year and convicted in absentia of corruption a week ago, flew back to rally his party ahead of the general elections.
Earlier in the day, a bomb blast killed four people in the northern town of Bannu when it struck the campaign convoy of Akram Khan Durrani, an ally of Sharif’s party from the religious Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal party (MMA).