Blast victim demands probe

PESHAWAR: Zahid Ali, son of Akhtar Ali Khan and a resident of OPF Colony, who is currently admitted in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a local hospital, has categorically rejected the claims made by Peshawar Police, terming the explosion at his residence as a “cylinder blast.”

In a statement from the ICU, Zahid Ali stated that his home was not the site of a domestic gas accident but was deliberately attacked with explosives.The targeted blast resulted in the tragic death of his young son, Ali Sher, who died on the spot. His wife and two other children sustained life-threatening injuries and are also receiving critical care.

Zahid Ali expressed disappointment and alarm over the fact that, despite the seriousness of the attack, Peshawar Police have yet to approach him for an official statement. “It is deeply concerning that no officer has reached out to take my version of events. This deliberate silence and the police’s premature conclusion raise grave suspicions about the nature of the inquiry,” he said.

He revealed that the DVR and video surveillance footage from his residence were taken into custody by the police and stressed that this footage must be analyzed by an independent committee to ensure transparency and rule out any tampering or misinterpretation.

The victim called upon the inspector general of police and the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to take immediate and personal notice of this incident and order the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) comprising law enforcement, forensic, and counter-terrorism experts to carry out a fair, thorough, and unbiased investigation. Zahid Ali is the brother-in-law of Advocate Kashif, a lawyer at the Peshawar High Court, and Qamar Naseem, a known human rights defender. Both expressed concern and disappointment over the mishandling of the incident by the police.

“This cannot be passed off as a routine mishap,” said Qamar Naseem. “When a civilian home is attacked, and a child is killed, the least we expect is an honest investigation. Instead, we are met with silence and distortion of facts. This is not just negligence; it is an obstruction of justice.”

The family urged the public, media, and human rights bodies to demand accountability and ensure that this case does not become another example of injustice hidden under false narratives.