DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Sept 15: Maqbool Hussain Siyal, district correspondent of the Online news agency, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Thursday night, was buried in the graveyard of Kotli Hazrat Imam Hussain here on Friday.

The 32-year-old journalist was on his way to meet Pakistan People’s Party leader Nawab Azek when two gunmen riding a bike fired on him on the Circular Road.

A heavy contingent of police was deployed in the city.

The Dera Union of Journalists at a meeting condemned the incident and constituted a committee to liaise with the government in investigation into the killing.

The meeting demanded that the case should be tried by the federal anti-terrorism court.

Police official Imtiaz Shah said the attackers pumped four bullets into Mr Siyal’s body. He was taken to hospital but died of wounds, he added.

“We have taken several suspects into custody,” he said.—Agencies

Our Peshawar Bureau adds: An FIR was lodged with the City police station in Dera Ismail Khan under section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code by Zaffar Abbas, a cousin of Mr Siyal.

The complainant said his cousin had no enmity with anyone.

An official at the concerned City police station told Dawn that the case was being investigated from various angles, particularly the fact that Mr Siyal belonged to a particular sect.