Planted explosives: Ex-army official’s house blown up by militants

Police say family members were sleeping in another room and are safe.

SHERGARH: The house of an ex-army official was destroyed in Jewarh area of Lund Khwar in Mardan district on Thursday when explosives planted inside his residence by unidentified militants exploded. Fortunately, no casualty was reported.

SHO Fazal Hussain of Lund Khwar police said they heard a huge explosion at around 1:15am following which they rushed to the site. He added that three rooms of Zar Daraz Khan’s house were destroyed, while another two were partially damaged.

Hussain said all the family members were safe as they were sleeping in a room which was not affected by the impact of the explosion.

According to the bomb disposal squad, five kilogrammes of explosives were used in the blast.



Zar Daraz Khan said that it was the second attack on him by militants. Militants earlier targeted him in Swat during the Raah-e-Rast operation, leaving him injured.

Khan said he joined the Pakistan Army in 1985 and retired in October 2008.

In 2007, when militants took over Swat, he was hired as an interrogator for the joint-investigation team by law enforcement agencies. Khan interrogated more than 12,000 suspects during the operation. He now works as a security agent.

He said the blast resulted in damages amounting to Rs1.2 million, but added the attacks could not deter him. “Militants cannot scare me. I will always work for the right path.”

SHO Hussain said the police launched a search operation in the area, but no one has been arrested so far.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2013.