Peshawar: A priest was shot dead and another injured in an attack by motorcyclists in Gulbahar police station area on Sunday.
Priest William Siraj left the local church in Gulbahar with Patrick Naeem and another priest after Sunday's mass worship after armed motorcyclists opened fire on his vehicle near Ring Road, officials said.
William Siraj was killed in multiple shots fired, while Patrick was slightly injured in the firing. The injured was taken to the hospital from where he was later discharged. Some reports said that a third priest in the car was not harmed. The attackers fled after committing the crime.
Chief Minister Mahmood Khan took cognizance of the targeted killing of a Christian community elder and directed the Inspector General of Police and others to arrest the killers at the earliest. Capital city police officer Abbas Ahsan said, "Initial reports suggest that the two terrorists opened fire and fled on motorcycles. The police investigated the incident from all angles, including geo-fencing the area and collecting all data." has started." from reporters. He along with SSP Probe Kokab Farooq and other officials visited the spot and collected evidence from the spot.
Authorities ordered the collection of CCTV footage from nearby buildings to help identify the attackers. There were some reports that the faces of both the attackers were not covered as they were not wearing masks or helmets. The CCPO hoped that the attackers would be arrested soon, claiming that the police had busted those involved in attacks on minorities in the past.
The body of Father William Siraj was taken outside Yakatut Gate to Valiyabad. Reports said the last rites of Father William Siraj will be held today (Monday) at All Saints Church in Kohati, which was attacked by terrorists in 2013, killing a large number of people for Sunday services.
A series of target-killings of policemen, a religious scholar and members of the Sikh community have been reported in the provincial capital in recent days. Meanwhile, a tribal chief was killed in a landmine blast in Balochistan's Duki district. According to Levies sources, Sardar Khwaj Muhammad Loni, son of Dost Muhammad Loni, was passing through a road in Duki's Tikri area in his car when the vehicle got stuck in a landmine blast. The tribal leader was seriously injured in the blast and was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.