Swat, Pakistan :
His body was shifted to Kabal Hospital for postmortem, where a large number of ANP leaders, workers, and local residents gathered. The atmosphere remained tense and grief-stricken as news of the killing spread through the community, sparking fear and panic. Police have registered a case and begun investigations, though the perpetrators have yet to be identified.
A senior leader of the Awami National Party (ANP) and former Union Council Nazim, Jafar Khan, was gunned down on Monday evening in Kalaklay, Kabal tehsil of Swat. Police confirmed that unidentified attackers opened indiscriminate fire, killing him on the spot.
Local residents and ANP leaders strongly condemned the attack, urging the government and law enforcement agencies to immediately arrest those responsible and take urgent steps to restore peace in the region.
A statement later attributed to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the killing, describing it as a targeted attack. The group accused Jafar Khan of collaborating with security forces in past operations against militants and of supporting actions against their families.
The assassination once again underscores the fragile security environment in Swat, a district that has endured repeated cycles of militancy, military operations, and local peace efforts over the past two decades.
Meanwhile, questions have resurfaced about the resettlement of TTP militants during the previous PTI government. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently stated that between 5,000 and 6,000 fighters were granted shelter and amnesty at the time, while former Prime Minister Imran Khan admitted that thousands of militants were encouraged to return from Afghanistan under Taliban pressure. However, no verified data is available to confirm how many of these militants specifically relocated to Swat.
