The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday postponed polls in PK-78 (Peshawar-XIII) constituency after the death of Awami National Party leader Haroon Bilour in a suicide blast. Bilour and 19 others were killed in the blast in Peshawar on Tuesday last. He was targeted when he was about to address a public rally for the general election scheduled to be held on July 25. The late Haroon Bilour was contesting election from the provincial assembly seat, PK-78. The new schedule for the elections on this seat will be announced after the general election.
Other candidates contesting election from this constituency include Muhammad Irfan (independent), Mahad Tariq (TLP) and Niaz Muhammad Momand (independent). Former Justice Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan, the chief election commissioner (CEC), condemned the terrorist attack, terming it a "weakness of security institutions."
The attack was a conspiracy against the transparent elections, the chief election commissioner said, adding that the provincial governments were ordered to provide foolproof security to all the candidates.