PESHAWAR: A retired police personnel was gunned down by unidentified assailants in jurisdiction of Gulfat Hussain police station Peshawar Friday.
According to officials from the Shaheed Gulafat Hussain Police Station, the incident took place in the Tasbeehgaran area near Talab Masjid, a densely populated locality. Eyewitnesses reported that two men on a motorcycle approached the victim, Sher Rehman, and opened fire at close range. He was killed instantly.
Sher Rehman had served in the police force for several years before retiring. He was reportedly well-respected in his community and had no known personal disputes, which has made the motive behind the attack even more unclear at this stage.
Law enforcement teams reached the scene shortly after the incident was reported. The body was transferred to a nearby hospital for a post-mortem examination, while forensic experts and crime scene investigators collected evidence, including bullet casings and CCTV footage from surrounding areas. Police officials have confirmed that an FIR (First Information Report) has been registered, and multiple lines of inquiry are being pursued. These include possibilities of personal enmity, targeted killing, or retaliation by criminal or militant groups due to the victim’s past service in law enforcement.
“We are treating this case with utmost priority. No one involved in the killing of a former officer will be spared,” said a senior investigating officer while speaking to the media. This incident follows a series of similar attacks on both serving and retired law enforcement personnel in Peshawar and other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In recent years, targeted killings have often been linked to militant outfits, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has previously carried out attacks on police officers, check posts, and even officers’ homes.
Earlier in May 2025, two police officers were killed in a bomb attack in Peshawar, and in 2024, sniper attacks and ambush-style shootings claimed the lives of several security personnel across the province.The killing has sparked anxiety among residents, particularly retired officials and their families, who fear that they may also be vulnerable. Community leaders have called for increased police patrols and surveillance in residential neighbourhoods, especially those housing former security personnel.
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