Web Desk: Malakand Levies personnel raided the residence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lawmaker Shakeel Khan as authorities stepped up action following a firing incident that injured two Levies officials, according to officials and local reports.
During the operation, Levies personnel reportedly recovered a double-cabin Toyota Revo vehicle allegedly used in the incident. The vehicle was identified as belonging to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and was taken into official custody.
Khan was reportedly not present at his residence when the Levies conducted the raid.
The raid follows an earlier firing incident in Malakand in which two Levies personnel were injured after guards associated with Khan allegedly opened fire.
According to an FIR registered by the Counter Terrorism Department, a CTD official alleged that Khan and others got out of a vehicle on the Batkhela bypass and opened fire on officials performing routine duty. The official sustained a gunshot wound to his back, while the FIR also cited damage to the government vehicle.
Authorities have also said videos purportedly showing the alleged firing have surfaced, although the circumstances shown in the footage require investigation.
The CTD has registered a case against Khan and others in connection with the incident. The FIR includes Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act along with other provisions, according to the Associated Press of Pakistan report.
However, Khan has disputed the account presented by authorities. He separately approached officials seeking registration of a case against unidentified armed men, giving a different version of the confrontation.
The reported recovery of the government-owned vehicle has added another dimension to the case, with officials questioning whether state property was used during the confrontation.
Any allegation that government resources were misused would have to be established through the ongoing legal process and investigation.
Authorities have indicated that legal action will proceed against those found responsible for the firing and injuries to Levies personnel.
The development comes as political tensions remain elevated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s planned Sept. 27 march toward Islamabad.
PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Junaid Akbar has publicly called for the march and made statements about protesters approaching Islamabad through multiple routes. His remarks have drawn criticism from government officials amid preparations to maintain law and order.
The Malakand firing case remains under investigation, and further action will depend on evidence gathered by authorities and the outcome of the legal proceedings.
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