Former Pak senator Saleh Shah's guesthouse blown-up by suspected militants

A guesthouse belonging to a former senator has been blown-up by suspected militants in Pakistan's restive northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said. No loss of life was reported in the incident.

The guesthouse of former senator Saleh Shah, located in South Waziristan district's Tiarza tehsil, was completely levelled in the explosion late on Friday night after unidentified attackers reportedly planted explosives at his residence.

I have been receiving calls for extortion from unknown people who have been threatening me and my family of dire consequences, the former lawmaker told police.

No casualties have been reported so far, though the blast was powerful enough to collapse the structure entirely.

Security forces cordoned off the area and initiated a search operation to apprehend the suspects. The region has witnessed periodic unrest and security forces are on high alert.

Shah, who previously played a key role in mediating talks between the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the government, had also faced attacks on his property in recent years, with his house in Gomal, Tank, coming under attack in a prior incident.