Ahead of polls, leader of Imran's PTI shot dead in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

A leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Shah Khalid, was shot dead by unidentified armed men in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Swabi, The News International reported on Wednesday.

According to the report, unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle fired shots at Khalid's car at Swabi Assa, resulting in the death of the Opposition leader on the spot.

The police added that the suspects who fired at the vehicle escaped unchallenged. However, the police have launched a search operation for them. The officials have yet to ascertain the motive behind the murder.

The incident comes hours after an election hopeful and two other people were shot dead in North Waziristan when unknown assailants opened fire on them, according to local police officials.

With the general elections drawing near, the menace of violence is rearing its head in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), as another local political leader was gunned down in the province over the past 24 hours, The News International reported.

The independent candidate, identified as Kaleemullah Khan, was looking at contesting the general elections from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly's PK-104 segment.

In a separate incident on the same day, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) candidate for NA-258 Aslam Buledi sustained injuries during a firing incident in Turbat City, officials said.

The deadly attacks on Opposition candidates and Independents come as the country gears up for the February 8 general elections.

Last week, former member of the National Assembly and National Democratic Movement (NDM) leader, Mohsin Dawar's convoy came under attack by terrorists in Tappi village.

The News International reported that the convoy of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman had also come under attack on December 31 in Dera Ismail Khan; however, he remained safe.

Political leaders, including Fazl, have raised concerns and cast doubts over the staging of polls due to the "unstable" security situation in some parts of the province.

Pakistan has witnessed an alarming surge in terror incidents in the outgoing year, reaching the highest level since 2014.