Awami National Party (ANP) politician Maulana Khan Zeb was on Thursday shot dead by unidentified suspects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, a police official told media.com.
Bajaur District Police Officer (DPO) Waqas Rafiq told media.com that the politician was shot dead in Shindai Mor while campaigning for the July 13 peace parade. A policeman was also killed in the attack.
“Three other people were injured in the shooting,” DPO Rafiq said. “This was a targeted killing carried out by unidentified shooters on motorcycles.”
DPO Rafiq added that evidence had been collected from the crime scene.
Khan Zeb was a member of the ANP’s central cabinet and held the office of secretary of ulema affairs, according to the party website.
ANP President Senator Aimal Wali Khan issued a statement condemning the killing, stating that the party will file a first information report (FIR) against the state.
“State institutions are complicit in this incident because they have maintained criminal silence,” the ANP chief was quoted as saying. “After consulting with Khan Zeb’s elder brother, Sheikh Jahanzada, a FIR for the killing will be registered against the state.”
In a post on X, Wali Khan posted photos of himself and Khan Zeb with the caption “devastated”.
Meanwhile, ANP KP President Mian Ifitkhar Hussain strongly condemned the incident and declared three days of mourning in a statement shared on X.
“This attack is not only an attack on the Awami National Party but also on the Pashtun consciousness and peace,” Hussain was quoted as saying.
According to the statement, Hussain announced that the ANP’s KP chapter will observe three days of mourning, suspend all activities and that black flags will be hoisted alongside party flags.
The statement added that Hussain is leaving for Bajaur and urged the party to maintain “morale, unity, and organisational discipline”.
Similarly, the office of KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur issued a statement condemning the incident and vowed to bring the suspects to justice.
According to the statement, the CM condemned the shooting and ordered the relevant authorities to investigate the incident and promptly arrest the shooters.
“Those involved in the incident will not be able to escape the grip of the law,” Gandapur was quoted as saying.
Additional reporting by Zahid Imdad
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