PESHAWAR: An elderly couple belonging to Shabqadar Mandizai has appealed for justice after their 18-year-old son, Shahzeb, was allegedly killed for refusing to make a TikTok video.

Speaking at a press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, the parents said that despite the passage of more than two weeks, the accused remained at large due to police inaction.

According to Shahzeb’s father, Sifat Gul, the incident occurred on November 14 in Mandizai, within the jurisdiction of Batagram police station.

He said he was returning from Friday prayers along with his son and son-in-law when the accused Wajid, son of Darvesh, and Mujeeb, son of Hamzullah, both residents of Mandizai, ambushed them.

He stated that the two accused persons opened fire at them with a Kalashnikov, killing Shahzeb on the spot.

Gul said his son was their only child and the sole support of the family. “We were unarmed. We could do nothing except to watch helplessly. We are still alive only by the grace of Allah,” he said, alleging that the suspects continued to roam freely in Peshawar due to their influential connections.

Shahzeb’s mother, Nasira Bibi, in tears, told reporters that an FIR had been registered, yet no arrests had been made.

She claimed that the family, including her son-in-law, had also been receiving threats through phone calls and voice messages.

The parents appealed to the inspector general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Zulfiqar Hameed, as well as the RPO Mardan and the DPO concerned, to ensure the arrest of the suspects and provide justice and protection to the affected family.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2025