Police in Lower Dir have arrested three suspects in connection with the attack on Pakistani cricketer Naseem Shah’s residence in the Mayar area earlier this month, officials said.
The attack had occurred in the early hours of November 10, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on the main gate of the cricketer’s house at around 1:45am, leaving bullet marks on doors, walls, and windows. The attackers had fled immediately, leaving the family shaken but unharmed.
A special police team, led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Investigations Rashid Ahmed Khan, and comprising Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Jandol Circle Alim Khan, Station House Officer (SHO) Mayar police station Idrees Khan, and Chief Information Officer (CIO) Hayat Muhammad Khan, investigated the case.
Reviewing CCTV footage and other evidence from the vicinity, the police said they identified and arrested the three suspects after Naseem’s father, Zafar Shah, nominated them in the case. During interrogation, all three confessed to their involvement in the attack, the police claimed, adding that the motive behind the attack appeared to be tied to a recent land dispute between two local families.
“A few days before the incident, a disagreement over land had escalated. On the day of the attack, one party was cultivating wheat on the disputed land when the other party allegedly opened fire. As the relatives of Naseem’s mother were connected to one of the rival families, the cricketer’s house was targeted,” an official explained.
He added that further investigation into the case is underway, while authorities have enhanced security around the cricketer’s residence to prevent any further incidents.
Residents described Naseem Shah’s family as respected and law-abiding, expressing relief at the swift police action. “The arrests have brought some peace to our community,” a relative said.