Bomb kills local secular politician, his brother in Pakistan

QUETTA, Pakistan – A Pakistani government official says a bomb struck a vehicle carrying the local leader of a secular political party in southwestern Pakistan, killing him and his brother.

Abdul Salam Achakzai, a deputy commissioner, says Friday’s attack took place in the town of Harnai, about 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

He identified the slain leader of the Awami National Party as Abdur Razzaq.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack and it wasn’t clear whether the bomb had been planted inside Razzaq’s car.

Awami National Party is known for opposing Islamic militants who want to overthrow the government to enforce harsher Islamic laws in the country.

Pakistani authorities have struggled in battling militants across the country as violence has continued.