NORTH WAZIRISTAN: A lady health worker was shot dead by some unidentified attackers in an incident of targeted killing in Mirali sub-division of North Waziris­tan tribal district on Monday.

Naheed Gul, 25, daughter of Farooq Khan, was returning home after performing her duty at the Basic Health Unit of Nathasi in the Khus­hali Toorikhel area of Mirali.

Officials said that the gunmen forcibly disembarked Ms Gul from a rickshaw, took her to a deserted place and shot in the head, leaving her dead on the spot. The body was brought to tehsil headquarters hospital in Mirali Town.

Officials said that Ms Gul was posted as nutritionist at the BHU, Nathasi. The incident took place at a time when the health department has launched a polio vaccination drive across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This was the second incident of targeted killing of a woman in the area. Earlier, a local woman was killed in Mirali about three weeks ago. The woman was a housewife.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2020