Journalist Malik Hassan Zaib shot dead in Nowsehra

A local journalist Malik Hassan Zaib was shot dead by two unknown assailants in the Nowshera district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Sunday.

The incident took place in the city area of Akbarpura, where the victim came under gun attack while he was on his way in a car along with his brother, District Police Officer (DPO) Azhar Khan said.

His brother escaped the attack, the police officer said, adding that the journalist's body had been shifted to a nearby hospital.

The law enforcers, arriving on the spot, collected clues and various CCTV footage from the crime scene. One of the footage clearly shows two attackers, riding a motorbike, opening fire at the journalist.

The slain journalist's brother filed a first information report (FIR) of the incident, the police officer said.

Police said three investigation teams had been constituted to probe the incident.

Reacting to the killing, journalists from across the country condemned Zaib's killing. The Khyber Union of Journalists, condemning the murder, demanded KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Inspector General of Police Akhtar Hayat Gandapur take notice and arrest the assassins immediately.

It is the third incident of the assassination of a journalist within two months, KHUJ President Nasir Hussain said.

The Peshawar Press Club also regretted the killing of the journalist. PPC President Arshad Aziz Malik sought updates from the KP IG and DPO Nowshera. Talking to the media, he said the top police officer of the province assured him of the early arrest of Hassan Zaib's killers.

"The inspector general said the PPC would be apprised of any progress made in the investigation of the journalist's murder case," the PPC official said, adding that the IG has summoned an initial report from the DPO Nowshera.