Political targeting?: Two killed, three injured in DI Khan

Motorcyclists open fire at vehicle carrying posters of independent candidate.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN:

Two people were killed and three others injured when unidentified motorcyclists opened fire at their vehicle in Paharpur tehsil, Dera Ismail Khan on Monday morning.

An official of the Paharpur police station told The Express Tribune the five people were heading to Khushrana Fiqrani from Rangpur when gunmen fired at them. As a result ,the driver, Maladad Mehsud was injured and lost control of the vehicle which crashed into a tree.

Although posters of Abdur Rahim Burki, an independent candidate from NA-42 South Waziristan, were pasted on their vehicle, the men were not campaigners, the police official added.

Maladad was killed in the crash, while Shan Gul died on the way to the hospital. The three injured, identified as Asghar Mehsud, Farooq Mehsud, and Rashidullah Mehsud were admitted to the district headquarters hospital where a medic said they were out of danger.

The police station has registered an FIR against the unidentified attackers on the complaint of the victims’ families. “Further details will come forward after the investigation is complete,” the official said.



Abdur Rahim Burki maintained the victims were not working for his election campaign and were only his supporters. He claimed the news circulating in the media that the victims were campaigning for him were all rumours.

Burki said the confusion arose because the vehicle belonged to him and had his posters on it. He claimed his supporters had lent the vehicle to the men, adding it was unfortunate that all accidents were now being linked to attacks on election campaigns.

All the victims belonged to Sararogha subdivision of South Waziristan, but were residing in Paharpur.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2013.