3 injured as gunmen open fire on JUI-S provincial chief's vehicle in K-P's Hangu: police

DPO says Maulana Abdul Khateeb's son and his two grandchildren wounded in the attack

Three people were injured when unidentified gunmen opened fire on the vehicle of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (S) provincial chief Maulana Abdul Khateeb in the Darsmand area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu, according to the police.

“Maulana Abdul Khateeb’s son, Maulana Abdul Sami, and his two grandchildren were wounded in the attack,” District Police Officer (DPO) Khan Zeb Mehmood confirmed to The Express Tribune.

He added that the injured were immediately taken to a nearby hospital and their condition was out of danger.

Read More: JUI-S chief among six martyred in Nowshera suicide blast

The JUI (S) leadership strongly condemned the attack in a statement.

JUI-S chief Maulana Abdul Haq Thani expressed outrage over the incident, saying the provincial and federal governments had “completely failed” in maintaining law and order. He added, “No one’s life or property is safe in K-P.”

Thani urged law enforcement agencies to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the attackers to justice promptly.

He also conveyed his best wishes for the swift recovery of the injured, praying for their health and safety.

Last year in February, at least six people, including Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani — chief of the JUI-S — were martyred and around a dozen others injured in a suicide blast at the Darul Uloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak area of Nowshera district.

The attacker entered the mosque through the side gate while Friday prayers were being offered. Rescue, security and forensic teams reached the blast site and moved the victims to nearby hospitals.