GWADAR: A teacher affiliated with a language centre was shot dead by unknown armed men on an allegation of blasphemy in Turbat town of Kech district.

Police said Abdul Rauf, 22, an English teacher, was targeted near a graveyard in the Malikabad area on Saturday when he, accompanied by some people, was going to attend a jirga of ulema to explain his position on the matter.

Sources said students of the language centre had lodged complaints with local clerics, accusing Mr Rauf of committing blasphemy during a lecture. The matter also gained traction on social media.

Sudhir Ahmed, the principal, said a group of ulema visited the language centre on Friday and listened to the students and Mr Rauf on the issue. Mr Rauf denied the allegation and insisted he did not commit blasphemy. He tendered an apology for any objectionable words on the issue.

The clerics said they would resolve the issue and asked Mr Rauf to come to the jirga, to be held in a madressah, to explain his position.

“I invited Abdul Rauf to the jirga where over 100 ulema from Turbat were present to resolve the issue amicably, but he was killed by unknown masked men before reaching the madressah,” Mufti Shah Mir said.

He said police were informed about the issue after the murder.

The teacher’s family has not lodged any case with the police. They received the body and took it to their native town, Bal Nagor area, for burial.

No one from the family is available to provide further information. However, police have registered a case against unknown individuals.

“A special police team has been constituted for a thorough investigation into the incident, considering all aspects,” District Police Officer Mohammad Baloch told Dawn on Sunday. He urged people to refrain from spreading hate statements or news on social media. The principal said Mr Rauf was studying at Turbat University and teaching English at the centre in part time.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2023