Policeman martyred in Bajaur attack

Published May 20, 2026 Updated May 20, 2026 07:02am

BAJAUR: Unidentified gunmen killed a police official in Bajaur tribal district on Tuesday evening, officials and residents said.

They said the policeman identified as constable Imtiaz Khan was en route to his home, when the assailants opened fire on him in his native Barkholozo town of Lowi Mamund tehsil, just after sunset.

Mansoor Khan, a spokesman for the Bajaur police, told reporters while quoting residents said that the 36-year-old constable died on the spot before being taken to a hospital for treatment.

The cop sustained multiple bullet injuries and he breathed his last before being transferred to Larkholozo Hospital for medical aid, he added.

The official said that a team of Lowi Mamund police station in Laghari area along with local residents immediately rushed to the scene and launched efforts to trace the attacker, who fled after the attack.

No one has claimed responsibility for the incident that happened a day after the killing of two policemen escorting the polio teams by unidentified assailants in Salarzai tehsil on Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the authorities imposed a ban on motorcycle riding in Bajaur district for three days, citing security concerns, an official statement said.

“This is to inform residents of Bajaur that motorcycle riding has been banned across the district for three days, from May 19 to May 21, due to security concerns,” said a statement issued by the DPO office late on Monday night.

The statement, also posted on the district police’s official Facebook page, urged residents to comply with the restriction and refrain from using motorcycles across the district during the specified period, effective today (Tuesday).

According to the statement, strict action would be taken against those violating the restrictions. The statement, however, did not mention any specific reason for the move, which drew strong criticism from the citizens.

Sources in the local police told Dawn that the ban was intended to prevent potential threats during the ongoing anti-polio campaign.

Meanwhile, the four-day anti-polio campaign continued across the district on Tuesday despite the killing of two policemen a day earlier.

Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali Khan told Dawn on Tuesday that the campaign was running across the district as usual.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2026

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