LARKANA: JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said the assassination of Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, the general secretary of his party’s Sindh chapter, was aimed at destabilising the country.

Addressing a press conference at Jamia Isha’atul Quran after offering condolences to the heirs of Dr Soomro here on Sunday, the Maulana said it was not the murder of just a person, but an attack on his struggle, philosophy and creativity.

“This is a national tragedy,” he said and thanked the people of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan for observing a strike across the country to record their protest against the murder of Dr Soomro.

Also read: JUI-F Sindh secretary general shot dead in Sukkur

He said protests would continue and the central Majlis-i-Aamla would announce a future plan of action. The Majlis-i-Aamla will also discuss the issue of lodging an FIR of Dr Soomro’s murder. He refused to say anything about investigation of the murder. “We are waiting to see what the government will do to unmask the killers.”

Maulana Fazl said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had assured him that he himself would monitor the investigation and share the progress.

Answering a question, he said the government had not informed him yet about the findings or any progress made in investigation into three attempts on his (the Maulana’s) life or steps taken for his security.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2014