PESHAWAR, Nov 12: An American aid worker and his Pakistani driver were gunned down here on Wednesday.

The car of Steve Vance, who was working on a US-funded development programme for the tribal region, was attacked outside his residence in the posh University Town.

The incident took place close to the well-guarded American Club. Police said they were facing difficulties in investigating the attack because the Americans had refused to share the footage recorded by the CCTV camera installed in the area.

“The guard inside Mr Vance’s house has said that he heard gunshots and rushed outside but did not see anyone,” police investigator Safwat Ghayyur told Dawn.

He said a car might have been used in the attack and it was essential to get the footage for confirmation. “We will write to the Americans for access to the CCTV footage.”

Police said Mr Vance, who was the director of the USAID-funded $750 million ‘livelihood’ project run by the Cooperative Housing Foundation for the tribal region, was living in the house with his family.

The outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan is reported to have accepted responsibility of the killing.

A police official said Mr Vance was not using an armoured car.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is likely to join the investigation.

The body of Mr Vance has been kept in the mortuary at the Khyber Medical University and forensic experts have been asked not to conduct a post-mortem.A forensics expert said: “Police literally took over the forensic science department and stopped the staff from conducting autopsy.

“We have preserved the body till it’s taken to the US for burial.”He said the family of the deceased had been given an exemption certificate.

The armoured car of US Consulate’s Principal Officer Lynne Tracy was fired at in the provincial capital on Aug 26.