QUETTA: Sardar Mohammad Ashraf Kakar, a senior leader of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), was shot dead by unidentified attackers in Loralai town on Monday. His driver was injured in the ambush.

According to police officials, the armed men opened fire on the PkMAP leader near his house in Dargai Kadizai village on the outskirts of Loralai town, some 250km from Quetta.

They said Mr Kakar was about to travel to the Loralai city. As soon as his vehicle came out of his residence, the armed men opened indiscriminate fire with automatic weapons, leaving Mr Kakar and his driver Faizullah injured.

The two were taken to the Loralai district hospital. Mr Kakar died during treatment while his driver was admitted to the hospital.

“Sardar Ashraf Kakar suffered multiple bullet injuries on the upper part of his body which caused his death,” doctors at the hospital said, adding that the condition of driver was critical.

The police said the gunmen escaped immediately after the incident.

“It appears to be a case of targeted killing,” a senior police officer said, adding that an FIR had been registered against unknown killers and an investigation into the attack had been launched.

Sardar Ashraf Kakar started his political career in the 1980s by forming his Kakar Jamhoori Party (KJP) with the slogan of protecting the rights of Pakhtuns.

He remained active as the president of KJP in Balochistan politics and struggled for the rights of Pakhtuns.

He also took part in different elections for a provincial assembly seat from Loralai. In 90s, he merged his party with the PkMAP, led by Mehmood Khan Achakzai.

Published in Dawn, December 13th, 2022