MPA from North Waziristan survives bid on life

PESHAWAR: Member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from North Waziristan Mir Kalam Wazir survived an assassination attempt in the Mir Ali tehsil in North Waziristan district on Sunday. The lawmaker claimed that his car came under attack near main Chowk in Mir Ali tehsil in North Waziristan.

Mir Kalam Wazir said that he had participated in the protest at Miranshah Press Club for the return of the displaced families from Afghanistan to their homes in Pakistan, adding that then he left for Dattakhel tehsil to inspect the damage caused by the flash floods.

He said that he was aware of the security situation in North Waziristan, particularly Dattakhel and tried to leave North Waziristan before dusk. The lawmaker claimed that more than 200 target killing incidents had taken place in North Waziristan since February 2018.

He claimed that despite the poor security situation, the police personnel expressed regret to him and said they could not escort him for fuel shortage. Mir Kalam Wazir believed that it was a well-planned attack. He said that he was not sure about the exact number of attackers but said two persons opened fire at his car.

“The attackers were waiting for my car at the market. One person on the roadside opened fire while another fired from the rooftop of the market when the first man, who was apparently targeting the tyres, missed his target,” he claimed.

The attacker on the roadside could not target me, thanks to the divider in the road and I escaped from the fire of the man on the rooftop because the driver sped away the vehicle after the first attack, he added.

Mir Kalam Wazir lamented that the police had not made any progress in the case. “These people were waiting for me there and nobody noticed them,” he added. He said that he had no enmity but his political activities were the cause of the attack.

The lawmaker said that he had no other option but to raise the issue at the floor of the assembly. It may be mentioned here that Mir Kalam Wazir was elected to the KP Assembly as an independent candidate from PK-112, North Waziristan-II.