A terrorist attack on Wednesday claimed the lives of five people, including former senator Hidayatullah Khan, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district.

Dawn has reported that the blast was a targeted attack in which an improvised explosive device (IED) was used in the Damadola area of Bajaur.

Khorasan Diary reported that the militant organisation Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) has denied any involvement in the incident.

When he was attacked, the former senator was on his way to a by-election campaign in Damadola.

Chief Minister of KP, Ali Amin Gandapur, condemned the incident and summoned a report from police authorities.

Social media reactions were sympathetic and regretful, with many fearing the rise of extremism in Pakistan.