LAKKI MARWAT: Villagers blocked the Indus Highway in Malang Adda area here on Wednesday during a protest against the killing of a prayer leader.

The protest disrupted traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country.

Police said prayer leader Maulana Fazalur Rehman was shot dead and his associate was injured in a gun attack on the Tajori Road near Malang Adda in the limits of Serai Gambila police station.

The cleric’s son, Ziaur Rehman, 15, remained unhurt in the attack.

He told police that his father was taking Rs2.6 million cash to his Tajori town in the car when the gun attack was carried out.

“My father kept Rs2.5 million in a bag and handed it over to me, while Rs100,000 cash was in his pocket.Armed men riding two motorcycles snatched the bag from me after shooting my father dead,” he claimed.

The boy said villager Alibat Khan was also injured in the attack.

After the attack, villagers reached Malang Adda and blocked the Peshawar-Karachi Highway to traffic. They torched old tyres.

On the occasion, Marwat-Bitanni Tehreek chairman Inamullah said law-enforcement agencies had failed to provide security to people.

“In the broad daylight, innocent citizens are being killed and looted in the area,” he said.

He asked the government to allow people to keep weapons for their safety.

Later, a government team comprising local police officers held talks with protesters. They assured the mob that the attackers would be brought to justice within 72 hours. The team said Bannu regional police officer Qasim Ali Khan had taken a serious notice of the incident and a large contingent of police was in the area to hunt down the attackers. The protesters later dispersed peacefully, opening the highway.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2023