Mr Khan said that Israrullah Gandapur had been 'martyred'
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) leader Imran Khan has condemned the killing on Wednesday of a provincial law minister and at least seven others in the north-west of the country.
Mr Khan said that he was "devastated" by the suicide bomb attack which killed Israrullah Gandapur.
The PTI governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a militant stronghold, and backs talks with the militants.
Mr Khan called for those responsible to be caught as soon as possible.
Mr Gandapur was killed as he was greeting locals at his residence.
Mr Gandapur's party backs talks with the Pakistani Taliban
In a statement on his party's website, Mr Khan said that he was "stunned" by Mr Gandapur's death, which took place during the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha in Kulachi village.
The former Pakistani international cricketer said that only two days ago he and Mr Gandapur had enjoyed watching a game together in Peshawar on Sunday.
"My prayers go to Israr's wife, his two children and his parents," Mr Khan said.
He called on the provincial government to bring the killers speedily to justice while at the same time urging the central government not "to drift into inaction" following a conference in September in which various political parties agreed that Pakistan should pursue negotiations with the Taliban while at the same time seeking an end to US drone strikes in the north-west.
The PTI governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a militant stronghold, and backs talks with the militants.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Mr Gandapur is expected to be buried on Thursday in Kulachi.
Last week the Pakistani Taliban leader told the BBC he was "open to talks" but would continue to target the US and its allies.
Mr Gandapur is the most senior member of the PTI to be killed in a wave of attacks which have left hundreds of people dead in recent months.
The PTI posed a strong challenge to the Pakistan Muslim League which won general elections in May.
It narrowly failed to become the country's official opposition but did win most votes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The party advocates starting peace talks with the Taliban, and also opposes US drone attacks on targets inside Pakistan.
The Associated Press, quoting senior police officer Mohammad Jan, reported that the bomber killed the guard at Mr Gandapur's residence before blowing himself up inside the guest room. More than 30 people were wounded.
Mr Gandapur was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died on the way, he said.
"I saw so many dead people and injured people crying for help," said eyewitness Haseeb Khan, Reuters news agency reports.
Pakistan has seen a wave of bomb attacks in recent weeks, much of it centred on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa capital, Peshawar.
Last week, two people were killed by a bomb which went off near campaigners against polio vaccinations in Pakistan. The blast struck a van near a hospital in the Budh Bher suburb of the city.
On 29 September an explosion ripped through a market in Peshawar, leaving at least 33 dead and dozens wounded.
Two days earlier, at least 17 people were killed in a bus bombing near the city.
In one of the worst attacks on Christians in Pakistan, a twin-suicide bombing outside a church in Peshawar killed at least 75 people on 22 September.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24562011]
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