The bodies of Fahimuddin, 50, chief of a 1,500-strong vigilante force in Bazidkhel on the outskirts of Peshawar, and three of his associates were found in a Toyota Land Cruiser on the city’s ring road.
“We found the bodies around 7:00am. Four of them had been shot at close range,” senior police official Asif Iqbal told AFP.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. According to police, relatives had not heard from Fahimuddin since Tuesday when he went to Islamabad for work.
Police said he survived at least three suicide bombings and several roadside bomb attacks blamed on the Taliban and warlord Mangal Bagh who leads the Lashkar-e-Islam in the adjoining Khyber Agency.
On June 12, two of Fahimuddin’s bodyguards were killed in a suicide attack that targeted his vehicle. He survived because he had not been in the car.
Pakistan is on the frontline of the US-led war on al Qaeda. Since July 2007, a Taliban-led insurgency has been fighting against the US-allied government.
In the last five years, attacks blamed on extremist bombers have killed more than 5,000 people according to an AFP tally.
Pakistan says 35,000 of its people have been killed as a result of terrorism in the country since the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
COMMENTS (10)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
@mpq357: There is no need of someone coming in power, cant anyone condole a barbaric act... does this require any POST???
@Sajid: MAN, let IK come to power. Shouldn't PPP or ANP be responsible for "saying" something....
"The bullet-riddled bodies of an anti-Taliban militia commander and three of his associates were dumped in Peshawar on Wednesday"
Fighting talibans should be the job of khakis who used up 40% of our budget, not job of these brave people!!. Lets give some of the money given to the armed forces to these poor souls.
@Sajid: "Let’s see what Imran Khan has to say. Nothing. Lips zipped."
Let's see what current administration will do? We can pick on Imran once he is in power.
Why is it that most of such abductions happen around Islamabad? For instance Saleem Shahzad, now this guy and many more such incidents.
@Omer: Why better security for anybody who is against the fundamentalists? How long we will play defensive against these animals? Our security forces either are involved, have too much sympathy for these terrorists, or simply inept.
"Pakistan says 35,000 of its people have been killed as a result of terrorism in the country since the 9/11 attacks on the United States."
those who cite this number for the victims of terrorism should get their facts straight. the number a lot higher than what is stated!! everyday they are killing innocent people in the name of this war against terrorism, the drone attacks have eradicated innumerable small villages from earth, which never came up on the media and i am astonished to see this number 35,000.
These people should be given much better protection.
Congrats to our security agencies and security establishment for this wonderful achievement....
Let's see what Imran Khan has to say. Nothing. Lips zipped.