ISLAMABAD: A government contractor was shot dead in broad daylight on Thursday, police said.

The victim was identified as Arshad Ghani, 43, a native of Lower Dir. He was residing in sector E-11 along with his family.

Police said he was found murdered in his vehicle parked along Islamabad Expressway under Srinagar Highway overhead bridge. He sustained seven bullets fired by unidentified killer(s), they added.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer Malik Bashir said Ghani left his house in the morning to drop his children to school and around noon, he was found murdered.

The position of the vehicle suggested that he was moving towards Faisal Mosque from Faizabad, he said, adding it was yet to be ascertained from where he was coming and where he was going. Even his family was not aware about his movement.

He sustained seven bullet injuries and died on the spot, the DSP said, adding it is yet to be ascertained how many people were involved in the shooting and how they targeted the victim.

Another police officer said preliminary investigation suggested that he was an active contractor employed by the government and armed forces. The motive behind the murder is yet to be established, he said, adding it seems that the attacker(s) after shooting the victim escaped from the spot within minutes.

So far, there are no eye witnesses of the incident and CCTV footage was also not available as the spot was out of reach of the Safe City cameras. The circumstances suggest that it was a planned assassination and the killer(s) picked this spot very carefully, the officer said, adding the victim’s family was also approached and details are being collected from them.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2022