LAKKI MARWAT: A local leader of Awami National Party was wounded in an armed attack near Naurang town here on Monday.

Police said Mumraiz Khan and his friends came under attack when their car reached near a brick kiln on the Naurang-Lakki road. Mumraiz is ANP’s district vice president and former chairman of district zakat committee. He is currently the chairman of ANP’s district election committee.

The police said Mumraiz sustained bullet wounds and was rushed to a local health facility in Naurang city. The attackers escaped, they maintained, saying three other persons going in the car, including Zainuddin, Kifayatullah and driver Hidayatullah, remained unhurt in the attack.

The wounded ANP leader told police that he and other party activists, including Zainuddin Advocate (ANP district information secretary), were going to district headquarters complex, Tajazai, for a meeting with deputy commissioner that three armed men, later identified as Nazeef Khan, Arshadullah and Asadullah, opened fire on their car. He said he received bullet wounds and was taken to a hospital by his companions.

Police said an enmity between assailants and the car driver, Hidayatullah, might be behind the attack. They said they had registered a case against the attackers and launched efforts to arrest them.

Separately, a young man was killed over a land dispute in Paharkhel Pakka village, police said on Monday.

They said Hasan Shah, Ejaz and Kamran shot and killed Abdul Rauf and escaped. Police said locals shifted the body to a nearby health facility where it was handed over to relatives after postmortem.

GAMBLERS ARRESTED: Police on Monday busted a gang of gamblers and arrested nine members during a raid in Pezu town.

An official said Shaheed Haibat Ali Khan police raided a den in Karmukhel mountainous area and caught nine people engaged in playing bet. He said police seized Rs42,000 stake money and gambling equipment and registered a case against them.

The official said seven motorcycles of arrested gamblers were also impounded.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2019