Police clueless about killers of ex-Taliban leader

PESHAWAR: Police investigators are clueless about the killers of an Afghan national Abdul Hadi, said to be a former Taliban leader who was gunned down in the provincial capital on Saturday.

Abdul Hadi was shot dead by unidentified attackers on the Charsadda Road near the Bakhshi Pul area. Reports in media later said the slain person was as important figure and had remained a shadow governor in Afghanistan during the Taliban rule.

An official said the investigators were working on the case to find the motive as well as the group or individual behind the murder. “The First Information Report has been lodged under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code and police are investigating it,” said an official when asked whether 7ATA was added to the FIR.

The senior police officials remained tight-lipped about the progress, the motive and other factors in the case. The News learnt that the deceased had lived in the area in a rented house for over 10 years. He was a teacher at a local seminary and was leading a low-profile life.

A few weeks ago, an Afghan Taliban commander was killed in Tarnab village near the provincial capital allegedly by his rivals. Reports had said the man killed by firing in the Muslim City near Tarnab was a Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Samad Toor, who belonged to Sarobi area near Kabul.

Police officials, as usual, said they had no idea about the background of the deceased. A cop said they registered a simple report at the Chamkani Police Station that one Mullah Toor had been killed allegedly by his rival Mullah Musa and others when he was coming to the mosque to offer the Fajr prayers.