DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Four Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials were martyred in firing by unidentified men near Qureshi Mor, while a separate attack on a highway traffic police vehicle near the Mufti Mahmood Chowk bypass left a police official martyred and another injured, police said on Tuesday.
Dera Ismail Khan District Police Officer Ziauddin Ahmad told Dawn that two of the four FBR officials were serving with the board on a contractual basis.
The assailants fled after the attacks, prompting police to cordon off the areas and launch search operations, the police added. An investigation into the incidents is underway.
In the other attack near the Mufti Mahmood Chowk bypass, unidentified assailants opened fire on a highway traffic police mobile, martyring the police official driving the vehicle. Another official was injured and taken to the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital for treatment, police said.
Senior police officials visited the hospital after the attacks and reviewed the situation, according to police.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed concern over terrorism incidents in the district, according to a statement posted on X. He expressed grief over the martyrdom of customs and traffic officials.
“The president stated that the people of Pakistan and security agencies stand like an iron wall against terrorism fuelled by foreign patronage and local facilitators. He affirmed that the Pakistani people would carry this struggle to its logical conclusion,” the statement said.
He offered his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the recovery of the injured.
Meanwhile, mobile phone services, which had remained suspended across D.I. Khan district for three days, were restored, providing relief to residents and traders.
The prolonged suspension had disrupted communication and affected routine commercial and public activities across the district.
The restoration of mobile services also came after the postponement of the second annual matriculation examinations scheduled to begin on Oct 7 (today).
Controller of Examinations Qaiser Anwar had announced that the examinations scheduled from Oct 7 to 10 would be rescheduled, with the new examination schedule beginning on Oct 12.
The authorities have not publicly linked the suspension of mobile phone services to the attacks.
Further details about the circumstances surrounding the incidents and the identity of the assailants were not immediately available.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb strongly condemned the incident and paid tribute to Rahmatullah and Sulaiman, who lost their lives in the line of duty. He also extended his profound condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls to rest in eternal peace.
Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026
