Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Gunmen shot dead Maulana Sheikh Muhammad Idrees, a former Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan-Fazl MPA and religious scholar, in a targeted attack in Utmanzai on Tuesday, police said.
District Police Officer Muhammad Waqas said unidentified attackers on two motorcycles ambushed the cleric’s vehicle at around 8:10 am while he was travelling from his home to his madrassa.
Police said the attack injured two security personnel assigned to Maulana Idrees, and officials shifted them to Peshawar for treatment.
Inspector General of Police Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Hameed said police were examining every aspect of the case. Police collected CCTV footage, shell casings and other forensic evidence from the crime scene.
The Central Police Office described the attack as a planned targeted killing and said the assailants had followed the cleric’s vehicle before opening fire. Officials said police recovered nine 9mm bullet casings.
Police said Safe City cameras helped retrieve images of the suspects. Authorities formed multiple Counter-Terrorism Departments and district police teams, and police were conducting raids to arrest those involved.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the killing and expressed condolences to the bereaved family. They said action against militant elements would continue.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also condemned the attack, sought a detailed police report and directed authorities to provide medical care to the injured personnel.
JUI-F provincial emir Senator Maulana Ataur Rehman blamed the provincial government for failing to protect religious scholars and announced province-wide protests against rising insecurity.
Rehman said Maulana Idrees was a member of the JUI-F shura and warned that continued attacks on religious figures were no longer acceptable.
