MINGORA: The policeman who was gunned down by unknown miscreants late on Wednesday night was laid to rest amid moving scenes at his native Ser Telegram town of Charbagh tehsil on Thursday.

The funeral prayer of constable Imran Khan, who was performing his duty as guard of a local journalist Sherin Zada, was offered at his native Ser Telegram town here. DIG Ijaz Khan, DPO Qasim Ali Khan, government functionaries, journalists, civil society members and a large number local residents and relatives attended the funeral prayer. He was later buried at his ancestral graveyard at Ser Ali village.

Local journalists and civil society members showed deep concern over the rising incidents of targeted killings in Swat valley. They said that during the recent wave of such killings four persons were shot dead by unidentified persons.

“The police cop Imran was going home on Wednesday evening after he performed duty with the local journalist when the assailants opened fire on him at Kanju Chowk and as a result he died on the spot,” said police, adding that they had started search for the culprits.

Journalist Sherin Zada said that Imran was on duty with him for the whole day. “After Isha prayers he was going home in police uniform when some unidentified people shot him dead,” he told Dawn.

The journalists in Swat said that killing of the guard meant it was an attack on the journalist.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2020