Tribal elder shot dead over espionage charges in Peshawar

Peshawar, Sep 29 (PTI) Taliban militants shot and killed a tribal elder over allegations of espionage in northwestern Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan, police said on Monday.

Hussain Khan Orakzai, a member of the Orakzai tribe, was gunned down on Sunday by militants in the restive Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

According to police, Hussain was travelling by motorcycle from Srah Ghowrga Pustoni to Bagan when he was ambushed by militants in the Fateh Khan Korona area. They opened fire, killing him on the spot.

A local faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), known as the Kazim Group, claimed responsibility for the attack, alleging that Hussain was targeted for his alleged espionage activities.

Militants announced via mosque loudspeakers that funeral prayers and burial in the area were forbidden. As a result, the body was transported to Peshawar and interred in Badaber village.

Police confirmed that investigations into the incident have been launched. PTI AYZ MPL ZH MPL