QUETTA: Makran Div­ision Commissioner retired Capt Tariq Zehri, who died along with his driver and security guard in a road accident near Kalat (partly reported in Friday issue), was laid to rest in his native village of Rais Tok in Kalat district on Friday.

Funeral prayer for Mr Zehri was attended by tribal chieftains, tribal elders, notables, officials of the district administration and a large number of people.

Mr Zehri was going to Turbat after attending an official meeting in Quetta on Thursday. The accident took place in the Bencha area, some 50 kilometres from Kalat town.

A pickup loaded with Iranian smuggled petrol coming from Panjgur hit the official vehicle of the Makran commissioner. After the accident, both vehicles caught fire.

Mr Zehri, his driver and the gunman could not come out of the vehicle as a huge fire engulfed the vehicle within seconds and they burned to death.

The man driving the petrol-loaded pick-up was also burned to death. The victims included guard Nasibullah, driver Muhammad Waris of the commissioner’s vehicle and Noor­uddin, the driver of the petrol-loaded pick-up.

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2019