DERA ISMAIL KHAN/LAKKI MARWAT: Three judges going in a convoy from Tank district to Dera Ismail Khan narrowly escaped a militant gun attack, leaving two policemen martyred on Friday, while a traffic constable was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Lakki Marwat.

Police said that the three judges, including acting district and sessions judge of Tank Malik Hasnain, acting district and sessions judge of South Waziristan Malik Asghar and senior civil judge of South Waziristan Tahira Zainab, were going in a convoy to Dera Ismail Khan when militants attacked them in the Bhagwal area of Tank.

During an exchange of fire with the attackers, two policemen guarding the convoy embraced martyrdom. The militants esca­ped the area after the shooting.

The martyred policemen were identified as Constable Abdullah and Constable Abdus Samad.

Two policemen martyred in ambush on judges’ convoy

According to officials, three judges are close relatives. Senior civil judge Tahira Zainab is the wife of judge Malik Asghar and sister of judge Malik Hasnain.

A contingent of police along with Rescue-1122 personnel was sent to the spot soon after police received information about the incident.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Gover­nor Faisal Karim Kundi strongly condemned the attack on the judges’ convoy and expressed grief over the martyrdom of two policemen in the attack.

Also, Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa Chief Minister Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur condemned the attack on the convoy of judges near Tank.

Mr Gandapur said he saluted the martyred policemen for their bravery to guard the three judges.

It should be noted that the district and sessions judge of South Waziristan was abducted a few months ago near Hathala on Dera-Tank road. He was later set free.

In Lakki Marwat, a traffic policeman was martyred in an attack near Mela Shahabkhel village on Friday.

Police said constable Anwar Sher was going to Lakki city on his motorbike when he was targeted by armed motorcyclists near Mela Shahabkhel. They sped away after the shooting.

He belonged to Zangikhel area.

Funeral

Deputy Commissioner Fahad Wazir, DPO Aqeeq Hussain, SP Investigations Murad Khan and relatives of the deceased later attended his funeral in Tajazai.

The body of the martyred policeman was then taken to Zangikhel for burial with full official honour.

Meanwhile, the Peshawar High Court has summoned additional chief secretary home and KP IGP pertaining to immediate increase in the security of judicial officers.

An emergency meeting in this connection was held under the chairmanship of PHC Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.

Justice Ijaz Anwar, Justice S.M. Atiq Shah, Justice Shakeel Ahmed, Justice Syed Arshad Ali, registrar Akhtar Khan and additional registrar Mamreez Khan Khalil attended the meeting.

The participants insisted on taking measures for providing security to judicial officers in the merged districts of the KP province.

Addressing the meeting, the chief justice said that judicial officers were his first priority and their protection and security is the responsibility of the government.

Published in Dawn, August 3rd, 2024