Where violence never ends: Man shot dead in sectarian attack in the city

Curfew-like situation remains on Frontier Road, say locals.

PESHAWAR:

A man was gunned down by unidentified miscreants in Sarki, near Shah Qabool police station on Wednesday. For the time being, the police are considering it an incident of sectarian violence.

Belonging to a Shia family, Ali Haider was an employee of Central Prison Peshawar. A Shah Qabool policeman told The Express Tribune, “The attackers were probably on foot as the street [he was killed on] was too narrow for bike.”

Curfew

Frontier Road and areas adjacent to it remain under a curfew-like situation for a third day; the restriction has been imposed by security forces, said locals.

Residents told The Express Tribune they were inconvenienced by the curfew but at least it was helping keep militants at bay.

“We have been told Lashker-e-Islam (LI) militants have issued fresh threats to the police despite the fact police constable Anwar’s remains were handed over to the police in exchange for the militant Qaisar’s body two days ago,” said an elder on the condition of anonymity. “All those who violate the curfew are arrested on first sight so people are forced to stay inside their homes, causing problems.”

“The entire area was gripped by fear after police constable Anwar Khan was kidnapped from Frontier Road a few days ago [September 13],” said the elder. When his body was returned, “the ill-fated man’s ears had been severed; apparently he was paraded in public in Khyber Agency for hours before he was tortured to death,” he added.

“As if it wasn’t enough that militants were constantly issuing threats to police at the local posts; now we have to worry about getting killed in an exchange of fire between the two.”

The elder said, “The question is who sent the poor man to Sheikhan post on Frontier Road when militants roam the area?” However, no one in the police department will be held accountable, he added, “and all this resulted in the loss of precious life.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2014.