What happened
A Sikh couple who served as caretakers of a gurdwara in Mardan were shot dead on Wednesday when an unidentified assailant opened fire inside the building, police said. A serving police constable was arrested the following day over the killings.
The attack took place in the Babu Mohalla area of the Khwaja Ganj Bazaar, within the limits of Hoti police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Police and Rescue 1122 officials said the dead were the gurdwara’s caretakers. The News reported that the victims were Jagannath, 70, and his wife, Asawanti, who had lived on the premises and performed caretaker duties there for several years.
Rescue 1122 personnel shifted the bodies to the District Headquarters Hospital in Mardan. Police said the assailants fled the scene, and that a police guard assigned to protect the gurdwara was not present when the shooting happened.
Investigation and arrest
An FIR was registered against unidentified suspects at the Counter-Terrorism Department police station on the complaint of Amarjeet Lal, the brother-in-law of the deceased, according to The Express Tribune. The case includes murder charges as well as provisions under anti-terrorism law.
On Thursday, Mardan District Police Officer Masood Ahmad Bangash told a press conference that police had arrested a serving constable within 24 hours of the incident. Preliminary findings indicated that the suspect had previously been posted at the gurdwara but was transferred about three years earlier, and that police believed he acted out of resentment over the transfer and personal animosity.
Reaction
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi condemned the killings as tragic and called for swift justice. The Express Tribune reported that senior police officials, including the district police officer and the SSP for investigations, visited the scene and collected evidence while investigators examined multiple lines of inquiry.
Why it matters
The killing of a minority caretaker couple inside a place of worship drew attention to the security of religious minorities and their institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The fact that a police guard was absent at the time, and that a serving officer was later arrested over the attack, raised questions about the protection arrangements for the province’s gurdwaras. Police have not announced a final legal finding, and the investigation continues.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a summary of published reporting, not independent reporting. Details are as carried by the cited sources, which were reviewed on 2026-06-18.
- Dawn — "Sikh Gurdwara caretaker, wife killed in Mardan"18 June 2026 · The location of the attack, the police and Rescue 1122 response and the initial investigation.
- The Express Tribune — "Sikh caretaker couple gunned down in Mardan"18 June 2026 · The victims' caretaker duties, the FIR registered at the CTD police station on Amarjeet Lal's complaint, and the anti-terrorism provisions.
- The News — "Sikh couple killed inside gurdwara in Mardan"18 June 2026 · The victims' names and ages and the detail that the gurdwara's police guard was absent during the attack.
- The Express Tribune — "Constable arrested for murder of Sikh couple in K-P's Mardan"18 June 2026 · The arrest of the serving constable, DPO Masood Ahmad Bangash's press conference and the alleged transfer-related motive.
