Guernsey Press

Sharif in custody as 132 die in Pakistan election violence

The attacks came hours before Sharif returned from London along with his daughter Maryam to face a 10-year prison sentence.

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Disgraced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is being held in custody a day after the deadliest attacks in Pakistan’s troubled election campaign killed more than 130 people, including a candidate.

In the south-western province of Baluchistan, a suicide bomber killed 128 people on Friday, including a politician running for a provincial legislature.

Four others died in a strike in Pakistan’s north west, spreading panic across the country.

The attacks came hours before Sharif returned from London along with his daughter Maryam to face a 10-year prison sentence on corruption charges, anti-corruption officials said.

Maryam Sharif faces seven years in jail.

Mushahidullah Khan, a spokesman for Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League, said that the ex-prime minister and his daughter were being held in Adiala Jail, located outside the capital of Islamabad.

Sharif has been calling for supporters to vote for candidates from his party.

Mr Khan said Sharif will appeal against his conviction and apply for bail before the deadline expires on Monday.

He still faces two additional corruption trials, both of which will be held inside the jail, said Mr Khan. Security is being cited as the reason.

In the southern town of Mastung, candidate Siraj Raisani and 127 others died when a suicide bomber blew himself up amid scores of supporters who had gathered at a rally.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the horrific bombing in south-western Baluchistan that wounded another 300 people, straining Baluchistan’s health care resources.

The group gave no reason for the bombing. Mr Raisani was running for the election on the newly launched Baluchistan Awami Party ticket.

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