SWABI: A member of Awami National Party (ANP) provincial council was shot dead by two unidentified motorcyclists here on Saturday.

Javed Khan, 55, was the eldest son of Sher Hassan, a retired police officer and a member of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s Caravan.

DSP Jawad Khan said that preliminary investigation made clear that the ANP leader was shot at from a very close range by the assailants. They moved close to him and opened firing on him, he added

Abbas Khan, a son of the deceased, told police that he was buying essential commodities for home in Swabi city when he received the bad news. He said that his father was lying dead near Swabi graveyard in Qasimkhel area.

He said that he was told by locals that two unidentified motorcyclists suddenly appeared and opening fire on him with a pistol, killing him on the spot. The attackers managed to escape.

ANP district general secretary Nawabzada, when contacted, said that it was not clear whether it was an incident of terrorism or enmity.

However, DSP Jawad claimed that it was not an incident of terrorism and it seemed that he was targeted by his relatives with whom his family was having a blood feud. The deceased was buried at his ancestral graveyard. His funeral was attended by ANP leaders and people belonging to all walks of life.

Meanwhile, a mentally retarded man was allegedly shot dead by his father in a fit of rage in Kalu Banda area of Yar Hussain on Saturday.

The mother of the deceased told police that her 24-year-old son Abu Zar was mentally ill and used to abuse other members of the family. He often became violent and was out of control, she said.

She said that on Saturday, he started abusing family members that infuriated her husband Saeed Khan, who opened firing on him. He was killed on the spot.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2023