Renowned Cleric Maulana Sheikh Muhammad Idrees Shot Dead in Targeted Attack

A renowned religious figure of Charsadd, a scholar and former JUI-F MPA, Maulana Sheikh Muhammad Idrees, was martyred in an assassination attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Charsadda district on Tuesday, according to police.

The shooting incident took place as on his way to Darul Uloom Atmanzai to give a lecture on Hadith when the incident took place. Mysterious assailants on motorcycles opened fire on his vehicle, killing him on the spot. Two police personnel assigned to his security were also injured and later shifted to Peshawar for treatment.

Police authorities stated, the attackers had been following Maulana’s vehicle before carrying out the attack at around 8:10am. Police recovered bullet cases at the scene and sent evidence for forensic analysis. To identify the suspects CCTV footage and Safe City camera images are being used.

Multiple police units, including the CTD, have initiated raids to arrest those responsible, officials said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari expressed heartfelt condolences to the family over the killing and offered sympathies to the victim’s family. They said the nation would stay firm; these attacks would not affect the nation’s fight against terrorism.

The KP Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, strongly condemned the attack and ordered to submit a detailed report.

And Maulana Ataur Rehman, JUI-F leader blamed the provincial government for failing to confirm safety and proclaimed protests across the province.

In recent years, following similar attacks on religious and political figures emphasizes concerns about security in the country.