LAKKI MARWAT: Three people, including a police official, were martyred in a gun attack in Paharkhel Pacca area of Lakki Marwat district here on Saturday.

A police official said that the firing took place in the limits of Ghaznikhel police station.

He said that unknown armed assailants attacked a police official, Qadeer Khan, near the village’s graveyard, and escaped.

“Qadeer received critical bullet injuries and died on the spot, while two villagers, Abdul Hakim and his son, Rafiullah were seriously wounded in the attack,” he maintained.

The official said that both the injured succumbed to their wounds when they were being shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital.

“The martyred police official was a sub-inspector and was currently posted in Faisalabad. He had come to his village on leave,” the official said.

After the attack, a large police contingent reached the remote locality and launched a search for the assailants,” he said.

He said that the police’s Counter-Terrorism Department registered a case and initiated an investigation.

Meanwhile, the elders of Bakkakhel tribe formed a 12-member committee to meet government authorities to bring into their notice the issues faced by tribesmen as a result of operations against terrorists in the area.

The committee was formed at a jirga held in Ghora Bakkakhel area of Bannu district on Saturday.

Malik Gulbaz Khan, Malik Sher Wali Khan and other tribal elders said that military operations against terrorists in the locality caused troubles to the local tribesmen.

They said that the closure of roads and curfew-like situation had become a routine, forcing the tribesmen to stay indoors for their safety.

They said that they would take up their issues with the government officials for quick redressal. They also warned that the tribesmen would hold a sit-in if their grievances were not addressed.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2024