Explained: Rangers naik dies after Rawalakot police post attack

Naik Bostan Khan of Sindh Rangers has died of his injuries, AJK Police said. The police said he died on Monday, 9 November. khabr.pk's earlier report of 10 November quoted AJK Police as saying he died on Sunday. This explainer uses the date given in the police statement as reported on the topic page, and the two accounts differ by a day.

He was wounded on 5 November, when armed men fired on an Azad Jammu and Kashmir Police checkpoint in Rawalakot. According to AJK Police, the attackers were armed members of a proscribed organisation. The police said the group has repeatedly targeted law enforcement agencies while claiming to advocate public rights. The police did not name the group in the material available to khabr.pk.

The naik belonged to Kohat district. He had been deployed alongside AJK Police at their request, to help maintain law and order in the area. This means Rangers personnel from Sindh were working with the local force in Azad Kashmir.

An AJK Police spokesperson said the attack showed the violent conduct of the group's armed elements. The police said such attacks threaten peace and stability in the region and undermine efforts to maintain law and order. The force paid tribute to the naik, expressed deep grief and extended condolences to his family.

The authorities said they remain committed to protecting lives and property, maintaining law and order, and ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice under the law. They said such attacks will not weaken the morale of law enforcement personnel.

The death comes amid unrest in Azad Kashmir. khabr.pk reported on 10 November that the opposition alliance TTAP condemned the alleged use of force against unarmed civilians in AJK and called for immediate negotiations. The alliance said its delegation heading to AJK was stopped at Kahuta. The JKJAAC Advisory Council asked for an end to firing and an independent investigation.

Several questions remain open. Reports of the death did not say whether arrests have been made. The police account and the calls of TTAP and the JKJAAC Advisory Council for talks and an independent investigation have not been reconciled in the material available. khabr.pk will report any official decisions as they are announced.