PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Armed men ambushed and kidnapped a senior judge in Pakistan’s restive northwest, a police official said Sunday. Around 15 men on motorbikes intercepted Judge Shakirullah Marwat’s vehicle as he was travelling toward Dera Ismail Khan district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, said police official Faheem Khan. The assailants set the car on fire before fleeing with him. The driver was not harmed, Khan said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday evening’s assault, but suspicion is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, who made the province their stronghold. It’s unusual for militants in the northwest to target a judge of Marwat’s seniority, who normally travels with tight security. The militants have generally attacked security personnel or infrastructure. Khan said a search operation had been launched for the judge and a counter-terrorism team had joined the investigation. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in violence, mostly blamed on the TTP, since the group unilaterally ended a cease-fire with the central government in November 2022. Last weekend, gunmen opened fire at customs officials, killing two and wounding three others in Dera Ismail Khan. |
Efeso Collins' funeral to be held in Auckland on ThursdayHong Kong Book Fair: Two local publishers keep titles on sale despite security law complaintsMan hanging rainbow flag outside Destiny Church reportedly assaultedHKFP Lens: Artist displays 'overlapping memories' of Hong Kong and UK on filmMore toll roads coming, but at what price?Government thinks disabled 'add no value to society''Free from selfYour guide to a year in Greece: Time your trip to get the best of the country's historic sitesArmed police close Auckland street after reported kidnapping, woman injured'Free from self