BAJAUR: Unknown assailants shot dead a local religious leader Maulana Azizullah Tahiri in Khar bazaar here on Thursday.

Maulana Azizullah, a resident of Shenki Alizo area, was on way to his bookshop when unidentified attackers opened fire on him at Khar bazaar’s main chowk at about 10am, district police officer Shaukat Ali told this correspondent.

According to Rescue 1122 officials, the 42-year-old religious leader who was also a member of Jamaat Ashaat-o-Touheed wa Sunnah, was critically injured and died in the DHQ hospital.

Soon after the doctors pronounced him dead, the activists of different political and religious parties gathered at the hospital’s car parking area and staged a protest demonstration against the incident.

JUI-F district chief Maulana Abdur Rasheed, Mufti Tariq Jameel and others called the incident a failure of police to ensure security of local residents.

Meanwhile, a bomb exploded near a government hospital in Larkholozi here on Wednesday night. However, there was no loss of life or property.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2022