PTI leader shot dead in Swabi as violence ahead of polls continues unabated

Unknown motorcyclists open fire on Shah Khalid in Swabi Ada area resulting in his death

Unidentified assailants on Thursday gunned down a local leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in an attack in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Swabi, police officials said.

According to police, unknown motorcyclists opened fire on the vehicle of Shah Khalid in Swabi Ada area, resulting in his death. The gunmen managed to escape the crime scene following the incident.

Upon receiving information, police swiftly arrived at the scene, collected evidence, and transferred the body to a local hospital. An investigation in this regard has also been initiated.

The incident came a day after three individuals, including an independent candidate for the provincial assembly, lost their lives in a deadly shooting in Tapi village of Miranshah Tehsil, located in the North Waziristan district.

Read more: JUI-F leader injured in gun attack

The victims were identified as Malik Kaleemullah, Masroor, and Muhammad Sakhi. Among them, Malik Kaleemullah was an independent candidate contesting in the upcoming elections from the PK-104 constituency, as confirmed by the local police.

The incident unfolded as Kaleemullah and his companions were returning home when they were targeted and fired upon during their journey.

On Tuesday, Maulana Rehan Jameel, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) candidate for NA-46, sustained injuries in a gun attack in Rawalpindi.

Also read: Poll candidate among three gunned down in North Waziristan

According to a police spokesperson, the incident occurred within the Naseerabad police station’s jurisdiction when Maulana Rehan attempted to intervene in the case of an abduction involving a boy named Tayyab and his abductor, Salman.

Maulana Rehan Jameel, a member of the general council of JUI was shot and injured by armed men during the confrontation. The armed assailant managed to escape after the incident.

On January 3, another JUI-F candidate survived a bomb attack when his vehicle was targeted with a remote-controlled device in Bajaur.

The incident occurred in Mamund tehsil of the Malakand division in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, where the JUI-F nominee for PK-19 constituency, Qari Khairullah, was the intended target.

Khairullah’s vehicle was damaged as a result of the blast, but fortunately, the JUI-F leader remained unharmed.