Locals protest murder of ambulance driver

Unknown gunmen opened fire on a private ambulance, killing its young driver on the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway service road near Hund Badrai Bridge. The victim, 24-year-old Ijaz Ali, had been working for eight years at Bacha Khan Medical Complex in Shah Mansoor, Swabi, transporting patients to and from the hospital.

According to his brother, Mahad Ali of Sheikh Dheri, Ijaz had returned home briefly three days ago before heading back to the hospital.

Last night, relatives received news that his ambulance had met with an "accident" near Hund Badrai Bridge. Upon reaching the site, they found Ijaz inside the vehicle, shot and bloodied, with the ambulance damaged from gunfire.

In protest, the victim's family and local residents placed Ijaz's body on the motorway at Swabi-Jahangira Road, blocking traffic for several hours and demanding immediate action against the killers. Demonstrators described Ijaz, who was engaged, as a kind and innocent man and condemned the murder as an act of extreme cruelty.

Police officials negotiated with the protesters, who agreed to end the demonstration after authorities promised a three-day deadline for the arrest of the perpetrators. Traffic resumed after long queues had formed on the main road.