Prominent cleric Muhammad Idrees gunned down in KP's Charsadda

“CHARSADDA: Renowned cleric Maulana Muhammad Idrees was killed on Tuesday after unidentified assailants opened fire on him, police said. According to police, two police officials were also injured in the incident. The cleric’s body was subsequently shifted to the District Headquarter Hospital. Meanwhile, KP Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed took notice of the incident. According to a post on X by KP police, the IG sought a report from the Mardan regional police officer. He also told the official to take the necessary steps to arrest those responsible for the incident. IG Hameed also expressed his condolences to the bereaved family and expressed his resolve to arrest those responsible soon. KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also took notice of the incident and strongly condemned it. According to an official statement, he also sought a report from the police. “The martyrdom of Maulana Muhammad Idrees is regrettable. We stand with the family members in this hour of difficulty,” he said. He also directed to provide the best possible medical treatment to the police officials injured in the incident. KP Governor Faisal Faisal Karim Kundi also expressed sorrow at the incident and sought a report from the authorities concerned. According to a statement issued by his office, he termed the Maulana’s death an “irreparable loss” for the country. Former senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said that he was deeply saddened by the news of the cleric’s killing. “Can the provincial and federal governments, security agencies, and intelligence agencies tell us when terrorism will end in KP? No one is safe from terrorists,” he said. The deceased’s father-in-law, Maulana Hassan Jan, who had defeated Awami National Party leader Abdul Wali Khan in his native Charsadda constituency, leading to his retirement from politics, was also gunned down by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for opposing armed struggle. Idrees hailed from Charsadda’s Tarangzai area. He was also the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) district ameer and was considered one of Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s important advisers.

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