RAWALPINDI: A traffic warden was shot dead by unidentified motorcycle riders at a checkpoint near Railway Carriage Factory on Thursday night.

The victim was identified as Sub-Inspector Mohammad Naveed. This is the third incident in the twin cities during the last five days as two other police officials were targeted earlier in a similar way.

In the first incident, Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Mian Imran Abbas was martyred in a targeted attack near the official residence of the city police officer (CPO) Rawalpindi on Sunday. A few hours later, a head constable, Mohammad Qasim, was gunned down and two other police officials were injured in G-13, Islamabad.

Chief Traffic Officer Mazhar Iqbal said in a statement that after being shot Naveed, 38, was shifted to District Headquarters Hospital where he died. Initial police reports showed he was shot by a single bullet. “Police have launched an investigation on different lines,” the CTO said.

The checkpoint was established to monitor entry of heavy traffic into the city, he added.

A truck driver informed police about the incident after which rescue services along with a police team reached the scene and shifted the injured to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the father of a bridegroom died while a woman and teenage boy were injured during celebratory gunfire at a wedding ceremony in Kahuta on Thursday night. The deceased was identified as Mohammad Inayat.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2021