MARDAN: Police here claimed to have arrested an employee of Naqool branch of revenue department who had allegedly provided a pistol to an assassin who killed a murder accused on February 14 on the premises of a local court.

The arrested official, identified as Altaf, was a class-IV employee in the revenue department. During interrogation, he told police that he had received Rs30,000 for providing a pistol to the alleged assassin.

He stated that being government servant the police would not carry out his body search whenever he crossed the main gate of court and so he took advantage of that.

About a week ago, a gunman shot dead a murder suspect after his production in the child protection court of additional district and sessions judge.

The alleged killer was also gunned down when he started firing on police personnel in a bid to escape. The police claimed that the gunman was a hired assassin.

Later, police in a press briefing showed the CCTV footage in which body search of the alleged assassin was carried out at the main gate of the court. They claimed that someone else had provided him the pistol. They said that they had started further investigations.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2020