Election 2024: Independent candidate shot dead in North Waziristan

• Kaleemullah Khan was set to contest polls for PK-104.
• He was injured in a bomb blast recently, say officials.
• PML-N candidate also injured in Turbat firing incident.

An election hopeful and two other people were shot dead in North Waziristan after unknown assailants opened fire on them, local police officials said Wednesday.

The independent candidate, identified as Kaleemullah Khan, was eyeing to contest polls for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly's PK-104, the law enforcers informed Geo News.

Police said the incident occurred in the Tappi village of the district when Kaleemullah was busy with his election campaign. "He was injured in a bomb blast recently as well," the law enforcers added.

In a separate incident, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) candidate for NA-258 Aslam Buledi sustained injuries during a firing incident in Turbat City, officials said.

Buledi, a former member of the Balochistan Assembly, came under a gun attack near Issa Komi Park in the city and was moved to the Turbat Teaching Hospital, the official added.

He will later be moved to Karachi for further treatment.

The deadly attacks on candidates come as the country gears up for the February 8 general elections, with much hope of ridding the nation of problems — such as political turmoil, terrorism, and economic ills.

Last week, former member of the National Assembly and National Democratic Movement (NDM) leader Mohsin Dawar's convoy came under a gun attack by terrorists in the Tappi village.

The convoy of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman had also come under attack on December 31 in Dera Ismail Khan; however, he remained safe.

Political actors, including Fazl, have raised concerns and cast doubts over the staging of polls due to the "unstable" security situation in some parts of the province.

Pakistan has witnessed an alarming surge in terror incidents in the outgoing year, reaching the highest level since 2014.