PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has lost three members, including a minister, within five months since the general election in May.
Israrullah Gandapur, one of the most competent lawmakers, was the third one killed along with five others in a suicide bombing at his hujra at the Kulachi tehsil in Dera Ismail Khan on Eid day.
Israr’s father, Sardar Inayatullah Gandapur, used to travel in a bullet-proof jeep as he had tribal rivalries, two decades back when no one in the province knew about any armour-plated cars.
Israrullah also used the car of his father during election campaign, but the suicide bomber managed to enter hishujra where there was not much security on the first day of Eidul Azha.
The young Gandapur remained a member of the cabinet for a couple of months. He was elected as independent candidate, but later supported the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. He was elected MPA for the third consecutive time.
Before the killing of Israrullah, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has lost Farid Khan who was elected from Hangu, in an attack. Another MPA Imran Khan Mohmand, who got elected from Mardan was killed with other people in a suicide bombing at a funeral prayer in the Shergarh town in Mardan. Brothers of both the slain legislators were elected in the subsequent by-elections.
The previous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly also lost three lawmakers, including senior minister Bashir Bilour, who was killed in a suicide attack in December last year in Dhaki Naalbandi near Qissa Khwani bazaar.
Bilour had escaped two suicide attacks in Namakmandi and Bara Road.MPAs Alamzeb Khan and Dr Shamsher Ali were killed during the term of the previous assembly.Alamzeb was killed in an IED attack in Peshawar while Dr Shamsher was killed in a suicide attack at his hujra in Swat on Eid.
Many of the attacks on political leaders happened during Eid. The two top politicians who were attacked during Eid festivals included chief of the Qaumi Watan Party Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and head of Awami National Party Asfandyar Wali Khan.
