LAHORE: What appears to be targeted killing of a policeman working on important antiterrorism assignments in the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Rawalpindi region, has alarmed police hierarchy as it is first such incident in Punjab and being linked to a Taliban outfit.

Head Constable Khalid Mehmood, who had been working with the CTD for the last two and a half years, and was involved in various successful operations against sectarian terrorists, was gunned down by two unidentified motorcyclists near Taxila city when he was heading home on a motorcycle on Sunday (Feb 23) night.

A senior Rawalpindi region police official told Dawn that investigators were working on various lines, including targeted killing by militants, but the motive and elements behind the killing could not be ascertained so far.

A source confided to Dawn that though Taxila police had registered a case against unidentified people, investigators strongly suspected involvement of terrorists as the deceased had played a vital role in busting of some militant gangs linked to the Taliban network.

The source said Khalid, who was ex-SSG commando, not only worked on several cases of sectarian militancy with the district police, but also arrested some key suspects having links with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) network while serving in the CTD.

He said Khalid’s murder appeared to be first in Punjab CTD, but in other provinces like Sindh and Balochistan where Crime Investigation Department (CID) and CTD existed had been witnessing such attacks.

The source said the CTD had received specific information a Taliban group was conspiring to kill a pro-active CTD official after Khalid and his subordinates busted a militant gang recently.

He said investigators were also trying to ascertain whether the HC Khalid’s name was leaked within the department as usually field officers worked under cover.

Sources in the CTD, which is going to have a larger role in countering sectarian militancy and terrorism, said officials usually faced hurdles in investigating arrested suspects and fear repercussions due to lack of institutional and legal framework in the department.

They said the CTD had neither any independent investigation centres or lock-ups in Punjab, nor the right to lodge FIRs, while its field officers too lacked security paraphernalia to protect them against threats.

Sources said in the absence of an effective legal cover, the field officers dealing high profile cases usually fear institution of kidnap cases by the families and lawyers of the suspects they picked for investigation.