A social media activist and his nephew have been shot dead by unidentified armed men near their village in Mandi Bahauddin district.
Zafar Iqbal Gondal, 48, and his nephew Husnain Gondal, 30, were travelling home on Wednesday after attending a court hearing in Phalia when gunmen opened fire on their car near Seera village on Qadirabad Road, according to police officials.
Both men sustained multiple gunshot wounds and died at the scene. Their vehicle subsequently went off the road and fell into a roadside ditch, police said.
Police and Punjab Forensic Science Agency teams reached the site after being alerted to the incident.
The forensic agency, which collects and examines evidence for criminal investigations, gathered material from the scene as part of the investigation.
The bodies were taken to Phalia Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, where doctors conducted post-mortem examinations before handing them over to their families.
Zafar, a resident of Seera village, was a TikToker and local social media activist. He frequently criticised political opponents and area politicians in videos posted on TikTok, according to police.
Inspector General of Police Punjab Rao Abdul Kareem took notice of the killings and sought a report from the Gujranwala regional police officer.
He also directed the relevant police officials to identify and arrest those responsible as soon as possible.
A spokesperson for Mandi Bahauddin police said teams had been formed to trace and arrest the suspects involved in the double murder.
The killings took place within the jurisdiction of Phalia police station. Police have not disclosed a possible motive for the attack or identified any suspects.
