PTI leader, 9 others killed in attack on vehicle by ‘rival group’ in Havelian: police

Published March 20, 2023
This image shows officials inspecting the charred remains of the vehicle. — DawnNewsTV
This image shows officials inspecting the charred remains of the vehicle. — DawnNewsTV

PTI leader Atif Munsif Khan and nine others were killed on Monday after their vehicle was attacked by a rival group in Havelian in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Abbottabad district.

Abbottabad District Police Officer (DPO) Umar Tufail confirmed the development to Dawn.com. The PTI leader was also the Havelian tehsil nazim.

According to the DPO, a rival group had opened fire on the vehicle near Havelian’s Langra village which caused the fuel tank to explode. He refuted media reports claiming that the car had been targeted by a “rocket attack”.

He said that the vehicle caught fire and was completely destroyed, adding that 10 people, including Atif, died.

The DPO said a heavy police contingent reached the spot and initiated a search operation for the culprits but a first information report (FIR) had not yet been registered.

Tufail said the bodies were moved to the Abbottabad District Headquarters Hospital.

Atif hailed from Basti Sher Khan and was the son of former provincial minister Munsif Khan Jadoon. He was elected the Havelian tehsil nazim as an independent candidate in the 2022 municipal elections.

PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry offered well wishes for the deceased.

PTI’s Faisal Javed said the provincial government should “immediately bring the criminals to justice and punish them according to the law”.

Former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Mahmood Khan also strongly condemned the “attack” on Atif and said such an assault on a political leader was “very tragic”.

Opinion

Editorial

A hasty retreat
Updated 28 Nov, 2024

A hasty retreat

Govt should not extend its campaign of violence against PTI and its leaders, thinking it now has the upper hand. Enough is enough.
Lebanon truce
28 Nov, 2024

Lebanon truce

WILL it hold? That is the question many in the Middle East and beyond will be asking after a 60-day ceasefire ...
MDR anomaly removed
28 Nov, 2024

MDR anomaly removed

THE State Bank’s decision to remove its minimum deposit rate requirement for conventional banks on deposits from...
Islamabad march
Updated 27 Nov, 2024

Islamabad march

WITH emotions running high, chaos closes in. As these words were being written, rumours and speculation were all...
Policing the internet
27 Nov, 2024

Policing the internet

IT is chilling to witness how Pakistan — a nation that embraced the freedoms of modern democracy, and the tech ...
Correcting sports priorities
27 Nov, 2024

Correcting sports priorities

IT has been a lingering battle that has cast a shadow over sports in Pakistan: who are the national sports...