PTI leader killed in ambush in AJK, woman and child critically injured

MUZAFFARABAD: A Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader was shot dead in an armed ambush near Pingali Mor in Barnala tehsil of Bhimber district on Thursday, while a woman and a child suffered critical injuries after being hit during the firing, police said.

The deceased was identified as Chaudhry Adalat, a former chairman of the Zakat and Ushr Committee in Barnala tehsil. According to a police application, he was returning from the Barnala courts along with his nephew and a friend when unidentified attackers opened fire on their vehicle.

Attack near Pingali Mor

Police said the assailants had allegedly positioned themselves along the route in advance before launching the attack. The firing was described as indiscriminate. Adalat sustained multiple bullet wounds and died at the scene.

The two other men travelling in the vehicle with him — his nephew and a friend — were not injured in the attack, according to police.

Officials said a woman and a child who were passing through the area at the time were struck by stray bullets during the exchange of fire. Both were shifted to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

After carrying out the assault, the attackers escaped from the scene in a black car, police officials said.

Investigation under way

Police officials said Adalat had been implicated in multiple cases pending before different courts, and that these cases had resulted in enmities with several individuals. They said the investigation was continuing from multiple angles to determine the motive behind the killing and identify those involved.

A manhunt has been launched to trace and arrest the assailants, according to police.

Following the completion of legal formalities, Adalat’s body was handed over to his family. Police said his brothers, Chaudhry Dilawar and Chaudhry Mudassar Mehndi, were among the relatives who received the body.

The killing adds to concerns over targeted violence in parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with police now examining the circumstances surrounding the ambush and the background of the case as part of their inquiry.

No group or individual had been identified by police in connection with the attack at the time the details were reported, and officials said efforts were focused on tracking down those who fled after the shooting.