ANP candidate killed ahead of mayor city council elections in Pakistan

Peshawar (PTI): A candidate of the Awami National Party (ANP), who was in the fray for the mayor city council elections scheduled to be held on Sunday in northwest Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has been gunned down by unknown assailants during an election campaign in his constituency, police said on Saturday.

Umer Khitab Sherani was on an election campaign late Friday night in model town area of Dera Ismail Khan district, bordering South Waziristan tribal district, when he was attacked and killed, District Police Officer Najmul Husnain said.

The elections were scheduled in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (KPK) on December 19.

However, the election commission, through a notification, terminated the elections for the mayor city council in the district.

The area has been cordoned off to arrest the culprits, police said.

KPK Chief Minister Mehmud Khan has taken note of the matter and ordered an immediate probe into the assassination.