ANP’s Maulana Khanzaib, cop shot dead in Bajaur ‘targeted attack’

• ANP’s Aimal Wali condemns the killing, saying the party would register FIR of the incident against the state

BAJAUR: Awami National Party (ANP) leader Maulana Khanzaib, along with a policeman, was killed on Thursday when unidentified suspects ambushed his car in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district, according to the police.

“The politician was shot dead in Shindai Mor while campaigning for the July 13 peace parade, while a policeman was also killed in the attack,” Bajaur District Police Officer (DPO) Waqas Rafiq confirmed to the media.

“Three other people were injured in what appeared to be a targeted killing carried out by unidentified suspects riding motorcycles,” the police officer stated.

DPO Rafiq added that evidence had been collected from the crime scene.

Maulana Khanzaib was a member of the ANP’s central cabinet and office of secretary of Ulema Wing, according to the ANP website.

ANP President Senator Aimal Wali Khan condemned the killing, saying the party would register an FIR of the incident against the state.

In a statement issued after the incident, the ANP president said, “State institutions are complicit in this incident because they have maintained criminal silence. After consulting with Khanzaib’s elder brother, Sheikh Jahanzada, an FIR for the killing will be registered against the state.”

In a post on X, Wali Khan posted photos of himself and Khanzaib 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 would observe three days of mourning, suspend all activities, and hoist black flags alongside party flags.

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.

Politicians in KP have been targeted in attacks in the past.

This year, the home of Bajaur MNA Mubarak Zeb Khan was attacked twice, with an improvised explosive device exploding outside his house in May and suspects launching a rocket at the residence in June.

He was not home during the IED attack and was unharmed in the second incident.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the Bajaur firing incident and expressed grief over the ANP leader’s martyrdom.

In a statement, the Federal Interior Minister strongly condemned the firing incident near Shandai Mor in Bajaur, which resulted in the martyrdom of Awami National Party (ANP) leader Maulana Khanzaib and one other individual.

In a statement, Naqvi expressed deep sorrow over the tragic deaths and offered heartfelt condolences to ANP Chairman Aimal Wali Khan and the bereaved family of Maulana Khanzaib. “We stand with Aimal Wali Khan and the grieving family in this hour of sorrow,” he said.

The interior minister also prayed for the swift recovery of those injured in the attack and labeled the incident as a cowardly act. He asserted that “those who target innocent people are nothing less than beasts and deserve no mercy.”

Naqvi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice and ensuring peace in the region.

SAPM holds meeting regarding security issues in Bajaur

In related development, SAPM on Tribal Affairs MNA Mubarak Zeb Khan held a meeting with brigadier Saad and Bajaur Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali at Bajaur Scouts regarding security issue.

In a statement issued here, MNA Zeb discussed the recent terrorist incidents in Bajaur in the meeting, expressed grief over the loss of precious lives in the recent terrorism and offered Fateha for the martyrs.

Brigadier Saad, while briefing, assured that the security forces would soon control terrorism in Bajaur and made it a peaceful area again.

Later, MNA visited the houses of Assistant commissioner Nawagai, Shaheed Faisal Ismail, Subedar Shaheed Noor Hakeem and Tehsildar Wakeel, where he extended heartfelt condolence with their family members.