Politician campaigning for peace shot dead in Pakistan’s northwest

A Pakistani political leader and a police constable were shot and killed in an apparent targeted attack by unidentified gunmen in Bajaur, a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan that has seen a resurgence of militant violence.

Maulana Khanzeb, a senior leader in the secular Awami National Party (ANP), was campaigning for a peace rally when assailants opened fire near Shandai Morr, police officials said on Thursday.

“Khanzeb sustained multiple bullet wounds to the head and upper body, indicating a targeted terrorist attack,” Bajaur police spokesperson Israr Salarzai told Nukta. “He had no known personal enmity. A formal investigation is underway.”

A police constable, Sherzada, was also killed in the shooting. Three others—Muhammad Tariq, Usman, and Shehsawar—were wounded, according to police.

Khanzeb, who served as the central secretary of the ANP’s Ulema Wing and ran for parliament in the 2024 general elections, was known for his outspoken opposition to religious extremism and militancy. He was a prominent voice for peace, civil rights, and democratic values in a region long troubled by insurgency and state-led military operations.

“This was an attempt to silence a strong voice for peace,” said Gul Afzal, the ANP’s district president in Bajaur. “But our struggle will continue.”

Khanzeb was actively involved in organizing a peace rally scheduled for July 13. The event was meant to promote nonviolence in Bajaur, which has witnessed repeated attacks on political activists, tribal leaders, and civilians in recent years.

Political fallout

The killing prompted widespread condemnation and raised new questions about security failures in Pakistan’s former tribal areas, which were merged into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in 2018 after decades of being governed under colonial-era laws.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the attack and ordered an investigation.

“We stand in solidarity with the grieving families. Those involved will not escape the law,” Gandapur said, calling for a detailed report and the immediate arrest of the perpetrators.

ANP central president Senator Aimal Wali Khan declared three days of mourning and accused Pakistani state institutions of enabling violence through their silence and inaction.

“This tragic incident once again shows how easy it has become to spill blood on Pakhtun soil,” Aimal Wali said. “The FIR [police report] will be registered against the state. This is not just a murder; this is part of a systematic campaign of violence in the merged districts.”

He alleged that more than 40,000 militants had been resettled in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and were being allowed to operate freely, targeting ANP leaders and civilians with impunity.

“If the state is serious, it must answer: who brought these terrorists back, who gave them protection, and why are the institutions silent?” he said.

A religious scholar and peace advocate

Khanzeb, widely respected across both religious and political lines in Bajaur, was known for using religious reasoning to counter extremist narratives.

“Khanzeb stood firm like a rock in Bajaur,” said ANP spokesperson Engineer Ihsanullah Khan. “He countered terrorism through knowledge and peaceful means. His loss is immeasurable.”

Khanzeb also strongly opposed the rollback of the tribal districts’ merger with KP, military operations in the region, the proposed Mines and Minerals Bill, and the dismantling of traditional tribal dispute resolution mechanisms like the jirga system.

Protests erupt after Khanzeb’s killing

Following the assassination of Maulana Khanzeb, angry protests broke out in Bajaur.

According to local reports, residents gathered at the Bajaur Scouts checkpoint and began throwing stones, prompting a response from Frontier Corps (FC) personnel, who fired tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Demonstrators shouted strong slogans against state institutions, accusing them of complicity or inaction.