Journalist shot dead in Peshawar, accused arrested

PESHAWAR: A journalist was shot dead in the city and the police arrested one of the accused, officials said on Wednesday.

Tahir Hussain, the crime reporter of a local newspaper, was shot dead near his house in Mohallah Jhangi in the limits of Khan Raziq Police Station late Tuesday night. He had just left for his house along with his son when armed men on a motorbike opened fire on him.

He was injured seriously and taken to the Lady Reading Hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries. Inayat Ali Shah, the spokesman for the Peshawar Police, told reporters that the police arrested one Abdul Rauf of Badaber village who confessed that he killed Tahir Hussain over a family dispute. The accused is brother-in-law of the victim.

Tahir had married the sister of the accused after his first wife died. However, the couple developed differences a few months after their marriage. Senior police officers arrived at the spot after the incident and directed the cops to immediately arrest the killers. The police said raids were being conducted at different places in Badaber to arrest the other accused.

A large number of people attended his funeral prayer at Wazir Bagh on Wednesday. Tahir Hussain has left behind two minor sons and a daughter. He had been an employee of daily The News International in Peshawar in the recent past.