KOHAT: Hundreds of protesters blocked the Kohat-Parachiar highway in Ustarzai area here on Saturday against the murder of an elder allegedly by the members of land mafia.

The traffic remained suspended for hours and long queues of vehicles were seen on both sides of the road, causing problems to the commuters in scorching heat.

Elders, Malik Najal Hussain and Zaheer Abbas, told Dawn that Malik Zubair Hussain was sitting in his vehicle outside a police station when his rival, Murad Hussain along with his accomplices, opened fire on the vehicle, killing the elder instantly.

They said Murad Hussain, belonging to Ustarzai Payan area, was also killed when the fire was retaliated.

The elders alleged that about five years ago a gang of land mafia from Ustarzai Payan had occupied their 300 acres of land in Ustarzai Bala. They said despite many jirgas were held, the land grabbers refused to vacate the land, forcing them to approach the high court, which had issued a stay order in their favour.

Protesters demand transfer of relevant SHO for not acting against killers

He said the deceased elder had gone to the police station to hand over the court order to the police officials.

Assistant commissioner Sameer Leghari along with police officers reached the scene and held negotiations with the protesters, but they demanded immediate transfer of SHO Saifullah Khan for not taking action against the land mafia.

The police registered FIR and started further investigations.

HOUSE ATTACKED: Miscreants attacked the house of former state minister Shehryar Afridi with a grenade in the early hours of Friday, damaging windows and doors of the house.

The police said it was the seventh attack on police and houses of lawmakers in less than a month in Kohat.

DIG, Kohat division, Tahir Ayub said no human loss or injury was caused in the attack.

He said a police team reached the scene and collected evidence from the area for investigation.

SHO city police station Amjid Hussain told Dawn that motive behind the attack seemed to cause panic.

The Counter-Terrorism Department registered a case under 7 ATA and launched investigations.

It is to mention here that on Thursday night, a police constable working in the district security branch was killed by unknown gunmen when he was going to his home in Pasta Sanda area.

Earlier, the militants had attacked the residence of provincial information secretary of Pakistan Peoples Party Amjid Afridi twice.

Similarly, the Bilitang police station was also attacked last week, injuring four policemen and two civilians.

Militants had also attacked Kaghazai and Shahpur checkposts, last month, injuring four policemen.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2022