PESHAWAR, Jan 17: The beheaded body of a faith healer, who was kidnapped from Taro Jabba area of Nowshera on Friday, was found in Matani area of Peshawar on Saturday.

Qari Rafiullah, who was known as Hafiz Jee in his locality, was kidnapped by four armed men from Syed Gulabad village when he was getting prepared for Friday prayer.

A police official said that body of the spiritual leader was found in a deserted place near Frontier Road in the limits of Matani police station. He said that a letter written in Pashto language by ‘Al-Jihad Organisation’ stated that those dealing in amulets would face the same fate.

Police shifted the body to a local mortuary for postmortem and then handed it over to his heirs.

It was the first incident of its kind in Peshawar district. It is still unclear that people responsible for the kidnapping and beheading of the faith healer are really members of some outfit with the name of ‘Al-Jihad Organisation’ or they are using a fictitious name just to conceal their identity.

Following the killing of the cleric, residents of various localities of Nowshera took his body and came out on the main Grand Trunk Road and blocked it for some time in protest.

They chanted slogans against the government and local police for their failure to protect the life and property of people.

“We had blocked the road soon after the kidnapping of our spiritual leader and opened it only on the assurance of police that he would be recovered within 48 hours,” they said.—Bureau Report