CHARSADDA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl provincial council member Hafiz Abdul Salam Arif was gunned down by unknown assailants in Tangi tehsil here on Tuesday.

Investigating officer Safdar Khan said the JUI-F leader was on way home in his vehicle after offering afternoon prayers at a nearby mosque when he was attacked by two armed suspects riding a motorcycle.

Police said the incident took place on Mandani-Takht Bhai Road. As a result of the firing, Mr Arif died on the spot, while his son, Mohammad Hassan Jan, escaped unhurt.

“The incident is being investigated from all angles,” the official said. “Police have collected evidence from the crime scene and have also called in a team of experts to provide assistance.”

The slain was also the head of a seminary in Tangi and the prayer leader at a mosque.

The police official said the deceased’s son filed a case with the Mandani police station, reporting that his father was killed on the spot while he narrowly escaped.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2025