PESHAWAR: A senior police official was gunned down here on Wednesday.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Bahadur Khan, posted at the Counter-Terrorism Department, was taking his daughter in his car to drop her at her school, but he was attacked at Anam Sanam Chowk by two men on a motorcycle.

According to source, the officer was hit by a bullet but he sped up the car. The assailants fired at him again when his car slowed down because of a traffic jam and the car collided with a rickshaw.

The DSP suffered multiple bullet injuries and was taken to hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.

His daughter escaped unhurt.

The banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the killing. In a statement emailed to media organisations, TTP spokesman Mohammad Khurasani said that his organisation was also behind recent attacks on policemen in Swat and Mardan.

The sources said that Bahadur Khan, an experienced investigator, had worked as chief investigation officer at several police stations. He was promoted to the rank of DSP in Feb 2014. Two of his sons also work in police department.

It is learnt that about 25 days ago the police authorities had asked senior officers to exercise utmost care while on routine movements. They were advised to avoid using official vehicles when going to their children at schools or picking them up.

Sartaj Khan, an investigation officer, said that according to initial information the DSP was going to his office when he was attacked. The report that he was going to drop his daughter at her school is not correct” he claimed.

Talking to reporters after the funeral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Abbasi said that anti-state elements wanted to destabilise the country through such attacks. He urged police to go after such elements, avenge the killings and save the country.

“As a nation we are determined to eradicate the menace of terrorism,” the governor said.

Inspector General of Police Nasir Khan Durrani said: “We are in a state of war and such incidents may also happen in future. But despite that police are in high spirits and determined to continue the fight against terrorism.”

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2015

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