KHAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl senior leader Mufti Sultan Mohammad was wounded after unknown assailants fired at him in Bajaur tribal district’s Mamond tehsil, police and residents said on Monday.

They said the incident occurred early in the morning near a mosque in Badan locality.

Local residents told Dawn that Mufti Mohammad, who is the head of JUI-F Mamond tehsil, was going to a nearby mosque for morning prayers when unidentified assailants opened fire at him with automatic weapons.

They said the 37-year-old JUI-F leader was critically wounded and was immediately shifted to the district headquarters hospital, Khar. Scores of party workers and local residents rushed to the hospital after the news of the attack spread.

Doctors at the hospital said the JUI-F leader received three bullets on lower parts of his body. Mufti Sultan, who contested the provincial assembly elections from PK-102, was later airlifted to CMH Peshawar due to his precious condition. DPO Pir Shahab Ali Shah told mediapersons that investigation was underway to find out the motive behind the attack. He said no arrest had yet been made.

Meanwhile, unknown miscreants burnt a medicine shop of a religious leader in Jehangirabad locality of Khar late on Sunday night.

Officials said miscreants burnt the store after entering it by breaking its gate. They said all medicines and other goods in the store were turned into ashes while ceiling and walls were also damaged.

Qari Sher Mohammad, who also remained a JUI-F activist, told reporters that he suffered a loss of Rs500,000.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2019