DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Four Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials were martyred in firing by unidentified assailants near Qureshi Mor in Dera Ismail Khan, while a separate attack on a highway traffic police mobile near the Mufti Mahmood Chowk bypass left a constable martyred and another injured, police said on Tuesday.
Dera Ismail Khan District Police Officer Ziauddin Ahmad told Dawn that two of the four FBR officials were serving with the board on a contractual basis.
The assailants fled after the attacks, prompting police to cordon off the areas and launch search operations, the police added. An investigation into the incidents is underway.
In the other attack near the Mufti Mahmood Chowk bypass, unidentified assailants opened fire on a highway traffic police mobile, martyring the police official driving the vehicle. Another official was injured and taken to the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital for treatment, police said.
Senior police officials visited the hospital following the attacks and reviewed the situation, according to the police.
Later, a police statement said the martyred traffic police constable and two of the FBR officials had been laid to rest.
The funeral prayers for Highway Traffic Police Constable Habib and and FBR officials Rehmatullah and Sulaiman were held at Ejaz Shaheed Police Lines, the statement said.
Police personnel presented a guard of honor to the deceased, while officials laid floral wreaths on the bodies and prayed for the departed souls, it added.
The funeral prayers were attended by MNA Faisal Amin Gandapur, DI Khan Commissioner Dawar Khan, Station Commander Brigadier Salman Adil Shah, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Ghulam Mubashir Maken, DPO Ziauddin Ahmed, FBR officials, senior police and security officers, representatives of other government departments, political and social figures and relatives of the deceased.
Speaking on the occasion, RPO Ghulam Mubashir Maken said the sacrifices of the martyrs would not go in vain, and the fight against terrorism would continue with full resolve.
He said the sacrifices of the personnel were a source of pride for the state and the nation and assured the bereaved families that the state would not leave them alone and would provide them with all possible support.
“Such cowardly attacks can not weaken our resolve,” the RPO said, adding that police and other law enforcement agencies were united and committed to eliminating terrorism.
He described the martyred personnel as national heroes and said their sacrifices would further strengthen the resolve of law enforcement agencies to continue their efforts for peace and security.
President Asif Ali Zardari also expressed grief over the martyrdom of the officials and the constable and concern over terrorism incidents in the district, according to a statement posted on X. He .
“The president stated that the people of Pakistan and security agencies stand like an iron wall against terrorism fuelled by foreign patronage and local facilitators. He affirmed that the Pakistani people would carry this struggle to its logical conclusion,” the statement said.
He expressed his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the recovery of the injured.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb also strongly condemned the firing incident at Qureshi Mor, a statement by his ministry said.
“He paid tribute to Arm Guard Rahmatullah and Sepoy Sulaiman, who lost their lives in the line of duty. He also extended his profound condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the departed souls to rest in eternal peace,” the statement read.
It further quoted the minister as saying that the “tragic incident is a matter of deep grief for the entire FBR fraternity. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the martyred officials.”
Aurangzeb directed that all relevant aspects of the incident be pursued in coordination with the concerned authorities and expressed the hope that the perpetrators would be identified and brought to justice, the statement said.
Meanwhile, mobile phone services, which had remained suspended across DI Khan district for three days, were restored, providing relief to residents and traders.
The prolonged suspension had disrupted communication and affected routine commercial and public activities across the district.
The restoration of mobile services also came after the postponement of the second annual matriculation examinations scheduled to begin on Oct 7.
Controller of Examinations Qaiser Anwar had announced that the examinations scheduled from Oct 7 to 10 would be rescheduled, with the new examination schedule beginning on Oct 12.
The authorities have not publicly linked the suspension of mobile phone services to the attacks. Further details about the circumstances surrounding the incidents and the identity of the assailants were not immediately available.
KP has been witnessing terrorist attacks and security challenges for a long time.
Sept 2026 particularly witnessed a significant deterioration in Pakistan’s overall security environment, accompanied by growing political, economic and regional pressures, according to Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS).
Militant violence increased substantially, with 225 attacks recorded nationwide, compared with 199 in August, representing a 13.1 per cent increase and the highest monthly total recorded in 12 years.
On Sept 27, 14 people, including two rescue officials, were martyred and 35 sustained injuries after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a police checkpost in and then targeted an ambulance taking bodies to hospital in DI Khan.
On Sept 18, a major attack in the old Police Lines in KP’s Kohat claimed 23 lives and injured about 100 others. Eight terrorists were killed during an overnight clearance operation.
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