Three people, including a senior civil servant, Zubaidullah Khan, were shot dead in an act of targeted killing in Mir Ali, North Waziristan, on the first day of Eid, police said.

Khan was an officer of the Information Group and was currently posted as director of Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) in Islamabad. He was visiting his family village for Eidul Fitr holidays.

The other two victims were identified as Farmanullah and Naimatullah. All the three victims belonged to the Dawar tribe, police said, and were returning home after offering Eid prayers when unidentified motorcycle riders opened fire on them before escaping.

The victims were rushed to a nearby hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries, according to a senior police officer.

Danyal Gilani, a senior civil servant and former spokesman of national airline PIA, also tweeted about the passing away of his colleague.

A first information report (FIR) of the targeted killings has not been registered, a senior police official told Dawn.com, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

According to North Waziristan police, initial investigations revealed the incident was a terror attack, which was why the FIR would have to be registered under the anti-terrorism act.

“We have sent an initial report and a letter to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Bannu, requesting them to register an FIR of the incident,” the police official said.

Jirga demands govt end violence, warns of protests

Meanwhile, political elders of the area met today and held a jirga after a spate of violent incidents.

They expressed concern over the law and order situation in North Waziristan and demanded the government to take immediate action to remedy the recent increase in violence, adding that if the situation did not improve, they would be forced to launch protest demonstrations.

This is the fourth major incident of targeted killing in the Waziristan area this month.

Five people were killed in two firing incidents in North Waziristan earlier this month while a prominent leader of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, Arif Wazir, was also killed in an attack near Wana on May 2.

Ten security personnel were martyred in North Waziristan district in April while six suffered injuries in attacks and clashes with militants.