SWABI: A muezzin was killed by unidentified assaults when he was on way to mosque for Fajr prayer here on Wednesday, said police.

The incident occurred in jurisdiction of Swabi city police station. Nural Ahad alias Mama was on way to say azan at Takhtoopul Mosque at Bamkhel village but some unidentified motorcyclists had opened fire on him near the mosque leaving him seriously injured.

He later died in the DHQ hospital. The police have registered an FIR against unknown killers.

Meanwhile, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday wife of one Mohammad Aamir of Kalu Khan village alleged that police had registered an unjust FIR against her husband under the influence of their opponents.

She threatened self-immolation if the police failed to withdraw the case. She alleged that local PTI activists were supporting their rivals.

ANP DIFFERENCES: Some key activists of Awami National Party were expected to part ways with the party if Swabi tehsil president Gul Wali Khan and general secretary Hidayat Khan were expelled from the party, sources told this correspondent here on Wednesday.

They said that supporters of the two leaders had declared that they would continue to back them if the party’s district and provincial leadership took action against them. They had already got show-cause notices and Topi tehsil office-bearers boycotted Aimal Wali’s visit to the district and did not participate in any gathering of the party. Mr Aimal is on a nine-day visit to the district.

Aimal Wali, the provincial president, said in a gathering on Tuesday that those who did not follow the district leaders’ instructions should be expelled.

When contacted, a former provincial minister said on condition of anonymity that resignation of some leaders was likely in case of expulsion of the two leaders.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2019