BAJAUR: Unidentified assailants shot dead a policeman in Mamond tehsil of Bajaur tribal district, officials and residents said here on Thursday.

They said that the incident occurred on Wednesday evening in far-flung Laghari area, some 22km from Khar, the district headquarters.

The residents said that constable Farhad Khan, 35, was walking outside his house after Iftar when unidentified gunmen opened fire on him, injuring him critically.

According to the villagers, the policeman died while being taken to the district headquarters hospital, Khar, as he had received multiple bullets in head and other parts of his body. They said the deceased had no personnel enmity with anyone in the region.

A senior police official told this correspondent that Farhad was the member of police’s Quick Respond Force. He said a search operation has been launched after the incident to trace the people involved in the incident.

Funeral prayers of the deceased held at the police lines in Khar were attended by officials of the district administration and police department. He was laid to rest in his native Laghari area.

Meanwhile, deputy commissioner Mohammad Fayyaz Khan and DPO Kaukab Farooq on Thursday visited house of the slain police constable to offer their condolences to his family and relatives.

They said both the administration and police were making efforts to trace and arrest the killers. On this occasion, the DPO told relatives of the fallen policeman to provide Shuhada package to his sons soon.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2021