Seven people were killed when a peace committee office was attacked in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, police said on Friday.
In their complaint to the police, the victims’ family has maintained that the attack was a result of a family feud. However, police say the family has taken the stance to avoid another potential 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 (attempt of intentional murder), 149 (every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offence committed in prosecution of common objective) and 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The FIR said that the suspects barged into the victims’ baithak (guesthouse), opened fire on them and fled. Three suspects were nominated in the FIR, which said they were accompanied by other armed men 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 committee officials in KP have been targeted by terrorists in the past as well.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “strongly condemned” the attack, state-run APP reported.
The prime minister expressed “deep grief and sorrow” over the loss of precious lives in the attack, which he said was carried out by “Fitna-al-Khawarij”.
Fitna-al-Khawarij is a term designated by the state for the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP).
APP, citing an official statement, reported that PM Shehbaz prayed for the “elevation of ranks of the departed souls in jannah (paradise) and for patience for their families”.
He directed relevant authorities to identify those responsible and ensure they received due punishment, the report said.
“Such cowardly acts, aimed at sabotaging 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.
Separately, the security forces have gunned down 13 terrorists in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Friday.
In a statement, the military’s media wing said that between November 20-21, based on the reported presence of terrorists belonging to Indian proxy Fitna al-Khawarij, a joint intelligence-based operation was conducted by the security forces and law enforcement agencies in the general area of Paharkhel, Lakki Marwat district.
During the conduct of the operation, the security personnel effectively engaged the khwarij’s location, and after an intense fire exchange, 10 khawarij were sent to hell.
Another intelligence-based operation was conducted in the Dera Ismail Khan district. In the ensuing fire exchange, three khawarij were effectively neutralised by the security forces.
Weapons and ammunition were also recovered from killed Indian-sponsored khawarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities against the security forces, law enforcement agencies, and the target killing of innocent civilians.
Sanitisation operations are being conducted to eliminate any other Indian-sponsored kharji found in the area.
The ISPR added that a relentless counter-terrorism campaign under the vision “Azm e Istehkam” would continue at full pace to wipe out the menace of foreign-sponsored and supported terrorism from the country.