Seven people were killed when a peace committee office was attacked in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said on Friday.
Police officers said Sunrise One of those killed was a “good Taliban” (a term used to refer to former militants who surrendered to the State) and the rest were his relatives.
In their complaint to the police, the victims’ family maintained that the attack was the result of a family dispute. However, police say the family took this stance to avoid another possible attack carried out in retaliation.
The first information report (FIR) of the incident was registered at Havaid Police Station under sections 302 (punishment for intentional murder), 324 (attempted intentional murder), 149 (any member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offense committed in pursuit of a common objective) and 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The FIR said the suspects broke into the victims’ house. Baithak (guest house), opened fire on them and fled. Three suspects were named in the FIR, which said they were accompanied by other gunmen and led by a terrorist commander.
According to the complainant, named Abdullah, there was enmity between his family and the suspects over the matter of a murder.
Peace committees, or village defense committees, were formed to assist law enforcement agencies in defending KP areas against terrorist attacks. They also include former militants, often called “good Taliban.”
Peace committee officials in KP have also been targets of terrorist attacks in the past.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “strongly condemned” today’s state-led attack APPLICATION reported.
The prime minister expressed “deep pain and sadness” at the loss of precious lives in the attack, which he said was carried out by “Fitna-al-Khawarij”.
Fitna-al-Khawarij is a state-designated term to refer to the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP).
APPLICATIONquoting an official statement, reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz prayed for the “raising of the ranks of the souls of the departed in jannah (paradise) and for patience for their families.”
He ordered relevant authorities to identify those responsible and ensure they received due punishment, the report said.
“These cowardly acts, intended to sabotage peace efforts, expose the evil intentions of the Fitna-al-Khawarij to create unrest in Pakistan. These cowardly actions cannot, at any cost, weaken the resolve of the people.
“The entire nation is united to defeat anti-state elements,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also condemned the attack “carried out by *Fitna-al-Khawarij,”* according to a statement issued by his office.
“He expressed his deep regret at the loss of life in the attack,” the statement said, adding that he also expressed his condolences to the bereaved families.
The statement quoted him as saying: “This cowardly terrorist attack is a nefarious attempt to undermine peace and stability. Such cowardly acts of Fitna-al-Khawarij We cannot weaken the high morale of the people. The State and the nation are united against the enemies of peace.”
This is a developing story that will be updated as the situation evolves. Initial media reports can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as competent and qualified authorities and our staff reporters.
