Deputy Speaker KP Assembly Mahmood Jan attacked in Peshawar

• PTI leader sustained no injuries; however, attackers escaped.
• Law and order deteriorating in KP for the past few weeks.
• Frequent threats, attacks on security forces, politicians reported.

PESHAWAR: Unknown men fired on Deputy Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly Mahmood Jan on Friday in the provincial capital's Regi area, police confirmed.

"Unknown men restored to aerial firing and their search is underway. The deputy speaker has been shifted to his home safely," KP SSP Operations Kashif Aftab Ahmad Abbasi told Geo News.

The police officer said the deputy speaker was involved in a property dispute. Abbasi added that he came under attack during the inauguration ceremony of a development project.

In his statement, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader said he was attacked while addressing a livestock-related event. He added that the guards fired back at the attackers. 

Jan added that he or anyone else was not injured in the attack; however, the attackers escaped.

The incident comes just days after militants overpowered a counterterrorism department centre in Bannu and took personnel over there hostage. The facility was later cleared by the Pakistan Army's Special Services Group (SSG).

'Ransom calls from Afghanistan'

In a press conference Friday, Additional IG KP Police Mohammad Ali Babakhel said that during the ongoing year, the police conducted 2,715 operations against terrorists.

"Ransom calls from Afghanistan and suicide bombings in Waziristan are huge challenges. However, we are witnessing positive outcomes of our operations in Malakand," he said.

"Organised criminal organisations are also involved in operations against police. We have also punished 15,600 police officers in different cases, while 600 have also been fired from their jobs," he added.

To ensure that they can defeat terrorists, the additional IG said police have requested the provincial government to provide them with night goggles.

Bad situation

The law and order situation in KP has gone south over the last few weeks as an increase has been noticed in threats and attacks on security forces and high-profile political personalities after the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) announced ending the ceasefire with Islamabad.

The News, citing a source, said: “Apart from the police, senior politicians have complained of receiving threats. The houses of some of them have also come under grenade attack.”

The provincial spokesperson of the Awami National Party (ANP), Samar Bilour, said that their provincial president Aimal Wali Khan had received a call about a plan of attack on his life.

Politicians affiliated with other political parties have either come under attack or received threats in the recent wave of violence.

Last week, an official said that on the night between Saturday and Sunday, a grenade was hurled at the house of former provincial minister Haji Muhammad Javed in Gulbahar Peshawar that did not cause any casualty or damage.

A hand grenade was also thrown at former federal minister Shehryar Afridi's house in Kohat, while PTI MPA Aghaz Khan Gandapur's residence was attacked by armed men in Dera Ismail Khan, leaving one policeman dead some time back.

PTI MPA Malik Liaqat was also wounded in an attack on his vehicle in Lower Dir in August, while four others, including his brother and nephew, lost their lives in the attack.

Business people and political workers have received extortion calls in the past few months. The majority of these incidents were not even reported to the police.