PESHAWAR: Armed militants allegedly abducted a policeman assigned to CPEC security and set his residence on fire in the Dogar Umarzai area of Bannu district, reducing three rooms and household belongings to ashes.
Local sources said that between 40 and 50 gunmen stormed the house, took the constable away, and later torched the property. Police identified the abducted official as Qadeer, who was serving in the CPEC Police unit.
The incident spread fear among family members and residents of the locality. Authorities said investigations are under way from multiple angles to trace those responsible and recover the kidnapped policeman.
In a separate episode the same night, unidentified men riding motorcycles opened fire at the residence of Ihsan Khattak, former president of the Bannu Press Club and a correspondent for ARY News. No injuries were reported.
Khattak said suspicious motorcyclists had been seen near his home in recent days, prompting him to file an application against unidentified individuals at Saddar Police Station. He maintained that he has no personal disputes with anyone.
The journalist also disclosed that he had previously received threatening phone calls from Afghan numbers linked to his professional work.
Media organisations and journalist bodies condemned the attack and called for an immediate, transparent investigation to hold those responsible accountable and to ensure the safety of media personnel.