A priest was killed while another was injured in firing by armed assailants in Peshawar on Sunday.
According to a police statement, the incident took place near Ring Road under Gulbahar police station area. A heavy police force has reached the spot and the search operation is on, the statement said.
“Evidence is being collected from the crime scene and CCTV cameras are also being checked,” the police said.
The body has been sent to the hospital for post-mortem while further investigation is on, the statement said.
“William Siraj was a pastor in a church within Chamkni police station limits,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Lady Reading Hospital said the injured priest was discharged after being provided medical treatment for minor injuries.
Speaking to the media at the site of the incident, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Abbas Ahsan said that the attack on the Christian community was sad.
He said that as per initial reports, two attackers were involved in the incident. “A comprehensive investigation has been launched,” he said. CCPO Ahsan said members of the minority community were targeted and said it was a “terrorist act”.
He said that in the past the police had identified the perpetrators of attacks targeting minorities and said that the same would be done in this case as well. The official said officials are doing geo-fencing and looking at other data.
“We are committed to protect the minorities,” the CCPO said. He said a team of officials from the Anti-Terrorism Department (CTD) and Peshawar Police has been formed to probe the matter.
Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, taking cognizance of the incident, has directed the IG to take necessary steps to arrest the culprits.
He also condemned the fact that religious leaders of the Christian community were targeted, saying the perpetrators would not escape the clutches of the law.
Khan expressed his condolences to the Christian community and the family of the deceased. He also prayed for the speedy recovery of other priests who were injured in the incident.
The Chief Minister directed the officials to provide better treatment to the injured.
Talking to the media, PTI’s MPA Wilson Wazir said that the deceased priest had not received any threat and was moving freely.
“Police is probing the incident and will reach out to the perpetrators soon,” he said. The MPA said it was too early to comment on the incident at this time, adding that he had full faith in the police.