PESHAWAR, Pakistan, July 4 /Reuters/ -A bomb blast killed five people including a former senator in northern Pakistan on Wednesday, police said.
The senator, Hidayatullah, was campaigning in the run-up to an election in Bajur tribal district along the Afghan border when his vehicle was hit by a remote controlled bomb, said police official Bakht Munir.
It was an improvised explosive device, said another government official, Anwarul Haq.
![This picture shows the destroyed vehicle of former senator Hidayat Ullah after a bomb explosion on July 3, 2024. — Reporter](https://www.thenews.com.pk/assets/uploads/updates/2024-07-03/1205997_1299858_bajaur-bomb-blast-1_updates.jpg)
The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which is an umbrella group of Islamist and sectarian militants, denied involvement.
Bajur is one of several tribal districts on the border with Afghanistan, a lawless region which has long been a safe haven for Islamist militants who operate on both sides of the border.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the attack, said a statement from his office.