The terror that had gripped Swabi since earlier this month after Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed the murder of journalist Haroon Khan, subsided, after police investigations revealed that the murder was allegedly committed due to longstanding property dispute between family members.
According to District Police Officer (DPO) Shoaib Ashraf, “The evidence and confessions suggest that the incident did not bear the marks of terrorist outfits.” He said that target killers operating under the umbrella of larger terrorist outfits usually killed for motives which were absent in this particular case.
The DPO said that the weapon used to kill the journalist was an AK-47 assault rifle, while target killers were mostly known to use 9mm pistols only. Haroon Khan was shot eight times, out of which three bullets had hit him in the head and the chest.
Commenting further on the matter, DPO Shoaib said that terrorist groups usually operated in broad daylight which increased their chances of making a successful escape, while adding that such groups have hardly targeted anyone in a closed alley before. “Terrorists plan out their escape route with great care to make give more impact to their missions,” he added.
The murder of Haroon Khan was condemned both locally and internationally by different journalist bodies after unidentified gunmen killed him earlier this month in Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Progress was made in the case on Tuesday after police arrested Jawad Khan on a tip-off. The accused was identified as the son of the slain journalist’s step-brother, and confessed to have committed the murder with the help of his brother.
According to the confessional statement, the accused said that he was riding on a motorcycle with his brother, namely Fawad, when they spotted Haroon Khan. It said that the accused then opened fire on their uncle, killing him on the spot.
Police are conducting raids in different areas to find the step-brother of the slain journalist, namely Muhammad Ali, who disappeared immediately after the incident.