BAJAUR: Unidentified persons opened fire on a Jamaat-i-Islami activist and his son, leaving them injured here on Friday evening, party sources and police said.

They said that the incident occurred in Ali Jan area, some three kilometres from Khar.

According to the family and party sources, Khalilullah Jan, also the Al-Khidmat Foundation’s district president, along with a son was on way home after closing his medicine store in the district headquarters hospital’s medicine market when unknown men opened fire on them.

They said the 46-year-old JI leader and his son were shifted to the district headquarters hospital. Later, Khalilullah, also the JI’s former district information secretary, was referred to a Peshawar hospital due to his precarious condition. His son’s condition was stated to be stable.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

However, a senior police official, who wished not to be named, told Dawn that a family dispute could be the cause behind the attack. He said that the police were making efforts to trace the assailants behind the attack.

JI district chief Sardar Khan, who along with a group of party workers, visited the district headquarters hospital, told reporters that the party strongly condemned the incident as it had shocked the party workers.

However, the JI leader said a family dispute could be the reason for the attack.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2021