ISLAMABAD: A protest was held in the capital on Friday against the killing of teachers in Parachinar.

On the other hand, chairman Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Maulana Syed Mohammad Abdul Khubair Azad said the nation condoled the martyrdom of teachers in Kurrum district.

In a statement, he said the Pakistani nation also salutes army personnel martyred by terrorists in North Waziristan. He called for a high-level investigation over the killings and demanded that its findings be made public.

Meanwhile, speaking at the protest, which was organised by Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen (MWM), its chairman, Allama Nasir Abbas, said those responsible for maintaining security should be held accountable.

“We have been informing relevant circles about conspiracies being hatched to create insecurity in Parachinar but no one listened,” he said, adding that people belonging to both Shia and Sunni communities were living peacefully in Parachinar, and if there were any land disputes as claimed by police officials, they could be resolved through scrutiny of revenue records.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Shia Ulema Council leader Allama Sajid Ali Naqvi has criticised the authorities for trying to cover up the incident by terming it a “local land dispute”.

Mr Naqvi said re-emergence of religious extremism and terror was a sign of concern for the whole society and the authorities have to act fast to stop it.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2023