PESHAWAR: With a joint investigation team still to trace and apprehend killers of a senior lawyer and president of Dargai Bar Association, Khalid Khan, assassinated over a week ago in Malakand, his family members have requested provincial government and high-ups of police to expedite the probe.

Kahlid Khan, who was also district president of Khattak Quami Ittehad Pakistan (KQIP), was ambushed on Aug 28, by unidentified assailants when he was returning home from civil courts in Dargai, Malakand.

The Malakand deputy commissioner, who is also commandant of Malakand Levies, had on Sept 1 constituted a joint investigation team (JIT) headed by an assistant commissioner Mohammad Shahbaz Khan and also including representatives from Military Intelligence (MI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

The FIR of the occurrence was registered at Dargai police station. Haider Ali Khan, a brother of the deceased, is complainant in the FIR.

Family of deceased Khalid Khan demands swift investigation

The complainant stated that he was present at his residence and heard indiscriminate firing. He added when he went out, he saw his brother Khalid Khan lying in his car in severely injured condition whereas the attackers had escaped from the scene of occurrence.

He said that the injured was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The occurrence has drawn widespread condemnation, especially from legal fraternity including KP Bar Council and Peshawar High Court Bar Association.

“While we welcome the formation of JIT, the slow pace of investigation is alarming. Any further delay risks obstructing justice and compounds the insecurity faced by our family that continues to live under grave threats following this targeted killing,” said Quraysh Khattak, a brother of the deceased.

He requested provincial government and law enforcement agencies to conduct a fair, transparent and expeditious investigation into the murder, bringing the perpetrators swiftly to justice.

Mr Khattak called upon authorities to ensure adequate and immediate protective measures for his family, whose lives remain under serious and imminent threat.

He told this scribe that he had written to several high-ups of government and police including KP Governor, IGP, Additional IGP, Malakand DC and others, requesting them swift progress in the investigation and immediate protection for his family.

He said that despite those repeated appeals, only a single constable of Levies was approved to one of his brothers, a doctor employed in health department. He said that they also requested district administration for permits to keep and carry weapons for self-defence, but it was rejected, citing a Supreme Court’s ban on such arms permits.

Mr Khattak said that the incident left the family in a state of shock. “My 80-year-old father is an agriculturist, my three brothers, and I, are distinguished professionals in our respective fields and law-abiding citizens,” said Mr Khattak, who is a known civil society activist.

“For generations, our family has lived peacefully, with no criminal or civil cases or disputes recorded against us. We remain firmly committed to rule of law. We have consciously rejected the tribal tradition of taking up arms to avenge injustices, as we believe such practices perpetuate violence and erode the very foundations of a civilised society,” he said.

“Yet, this principled stance-- seeking justice only through lawful means -- has left us vulnerable and exposed, without the protection we urgently need,” he said.

Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Sunday strongly condemned the targeted killing of Khalid Khan.

In a press release, the human rights watchdog states that such attacks on members of legal community gravely undermine the rule of law and erode public confidence in justice and accountability.

It calls on authorities to ensure that the JIT formed to investigate Mr Khan’s murder carries out an urgent and impartial inquiry and bring the perpetrators to justice, while providing protection to his family.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2025