CHARSADDA: Two local leaders of the Awami National Party (ANP) and PML-N and two pro-government tribal elders lost their lives in incidents of targeted killing in different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Bajaur tribal region on Thursday.

ANP leader Dost Mohammad Khan alias Khan Baba was killed in an attack on the party’s office in Charsadda district.

According to police, two men on a motorcycle entered the ANP office in Utmanzai bazaar and opened fire on the 90-year-old Dost Mohammad, killing him on the spot.

Dost Mohammad’s nephew Fahim told police that he and his uncle were sitting in the ANP office when masked gunmen barged into it and attacked his uncle.

Dost Mohammad was the son of Shahnawaz Khan, a founding member of the Khudai Khidmatgar Tehreek, and a close associate of the late Bacha Khan and Khan Abdul Wali Khan. He was uncle of Yasmeen Pir Mohammad Khan, a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly belonging to the ANP.

The Charsadda district president of ANP, Barrister Arshad Abdullah, termed the murder an incident of targeted killing and called for three-day mourning.

He said the killing was the result of security lapse because the attackers managed to escape despite the presence of police outside the ANP office and a check-post in the area.

ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan said Khan Baba was the right hand man of the late Bacha Khan and Wali Khan. “His death has caused an irreparable loss to the party and my family,” he added.

In Shamozo area of Mingora, an assailant shot dead Adalat Khan, a former nazim and PML-N leader, outside his house.

The body was taken to Saidu Teaching Hospital by local people.

Personnel of law-enforcement agencies cordoned off the area and mounted a search for the killer.

In Khar area of Bajaur region, two pro-government tribal elders were gunned down in separate incidents.

Malik Said Agha Jan, a member of the peace committee, was attacked when he was passing through the mountainous area of Chamrakand, 38km from Khar, on his way to a market.

He was critically wounded and died while being taken to hospital.

He had no enmity with anyone, Mr Jan’s relatives said.

Malik Badshah Khan, a member of the village defence committee, was murdered in Laghari area of Mamond tehsil.

The local administration launched a search operation in the area but no arrest was made till late night.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

(Fazal Khaliq from Mingora and Anwarullah Khan from Khar contributed to this report)

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2015

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