BAJAUR — ANP leader assassinated in broad daylight near the Khar Tehsil headquarters on Thursday. Maulana Khan Zaib, head of the ANP’s Ulema Council, was gunned down while preparing for a peace rally scheduled on July 13.
District Police Officer (DPO) Waqas Rafiq confirmed the targeted killing. He said the attackers opened fire as Maulana Zaib was engaging with supporters.
Two people were killed in the incident, including Maulana himself. Three of his close companions were wounded and rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.
Maulana Zaib was no ordinary activist. He was a former National Assembly candidate and a key figure within the Awami National Party’s religious wing.
Soon after the ANP leader was assassinated, angry workers and locals gathered for a protest. The demonstration was brief and dispersed peacefully after a short time.
On social media platform X, ANP President Senator Aimal Wali Khan posted his sorrow. He shared a photo with Maulana Zaib and simply wrote: “Devastated.”
Mian Iftikhar Hussain, President of ANP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, condemned the murder. He announced three days of mourning across the province.
“This assassination is proof that terrorists are once again roaming free,” he said. “And the state institutions are watching silently.”
The funeral prayer for the slain leader will take place at 11 a.m. tomorrow in Nawagai, as per the district ANP leadership.
Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, Adviser to the KP Chief Minister on Information, assured the public that the culprits will be caught.
“The murder of Maulana Zaib is not just a personal loss—it’s an attack on peace,” Saif stated.
This isn’t the first violent incident in Bajaur this month. Just days ago, five people were martyred in a bombing in Tehsil Khar.
Among the victims were Assistant Commissioner Nawagai Faisal Ismail, Tehsildar Abdul Wakeel, two police officers, and a civilian passerby.
Eleven others were injured, including five policemen. All were shifted to nearby hospitals for emergency care.
The ANP leader’s assassination has deepened concerns about the return of extremist violence in Bajaur and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
This political killing has sparked fresh questions about the government’s ability to secure leaders promoting peace.
The nation watches with grief and anger as yet another ANP leader is murdered—a man who stood for dialogue, not war.
The people demand justice. But justice can no longer be delayed.
