LAKKI MARWAT: A prominent Shia leader was gunned down here on Wednesday night.

According to an official, an unknown man entered the hujra of Syed Zahoor Abbas Shah Afgar Bukhari in Mohallah Sayyedan after Isha prayers and opened fire on him. He died on the spot.

The news of the Shia leader’s murder spread like wildfire and a large number of his followers and local people reached the Government City Hospital where his body was brought for autopsy.

Soon after the incident, police rushed to the area and collected evidence from the crime scene.

The relatives and followers of Afgar Bukhari held a demonstration at Qazi Ishfaq Chowk on Bannu-Mianwali road in protest against the murder. They said the deceased was a peace-loving man and a symbol of religious harmony in the district. They condemned the incident and demanded the arrest of the killer.

Deputy Commissioner Jahangir Azam Wazir and the district police officer held talks with the protesters and assured them that the killer of Afgar Bukhari would be arrested soon. They asked the Shia community leaders to cooperate with police and foil malicious designs of anti-peace elements.

Afgar Bukhari was a renowned poet of the Pashto language and known for his romantic poetry across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2019