PESHAWAR, May 5: A prominent religious cleric, Maulana Muhammad Idrees, was shot dead on Tuesday in a targeted attack by unidentified gunmen in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police said.
The incident took place in the Utmanzai area of Charsadda district, where motorcycle-borne assailants ambushed the cleric’s vehicle while he was on his way to deliver a lecture at Darul Uloom Utmanzai. Two security personnel accompanying him were also injured in the attack.
The cleric sustained critical injuries and succumbed while being shifted to the district headquarters hospital, officials said. The injured constables are currently undergoing treatment.
According to preliminary findings of a joint investigation by the Counter-Terrorism Department and district police, the attack was carried out by four assailants, indicating a planned targeted killing. Images of the suspects have been retrieved from Safe City surveillance cameras, and a manhunt has been launched.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
The body of the deceased was later taken to his native village, Turangzai, where a large number of followers gathered. The killing triggered protests in the area, with demonstrators marching towards Charsadda city, blocking key roads and staging a sit-in at Farooq-e-Azam Chowk, demanding immediate arrest of the culprits.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed sought a report from the Regional Police Officer and directed authorities to ensure swift action. He described the cleric’s services as “unforgettable” and assured that those responsible would be brought to justice.
Maulana Muhammad Idrees was also the Charsadda district chief of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and was considered a close aide of party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Notably, his father-in-law, Maulana Hassan Jan, was assassinated in Peshawar in 2007 by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan for opposing armed struggle.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the killing and extended condolences to the bereaved family. Zardari termed the act “cowardly” and said it would not weaken the nation’s resolve against terrorism.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also condemned the attack and sought detailed reports from authorities.
Meanwhile, Aimal Wali Khan, President of the Awami National Party, criticised the deteriorating law and order situation in the province, stating that incidents of targeted killings and terrorism had become frequent and called for coordinated efforts to restore peace.
Further investigations into the incident are underway.
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