CHARSADDA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl held a protest rally and a public gathering here on Thursday against the assassination of religious scholar Maulana Mohammad Idrees, with participants demanding immediate arrest and early punishment of the killers.

The rally was staged in Shabqadar where all major roads and markets remained closed for nearly three hours leading to suspension of traffic.

The protestors, holding placards and banners, demanded of the government to arrest the killers and bring them to justice. The public gathering was attended by JUI-F leaders, religious and political leaders, civil society members and people from other walks of life.

The speakers, including religious scholar Maulana Manzoor Mengal, Mushtaq Ahmad, Maulana Haq Nawaz Durrani, Pir Haris Jan and Wajid Ali Afridi, condemned the killing and criticised the government over failure to protect religious scholars.

The speakers said protection of religious scholars was the prime responsibility of the state and that repeated incidents of targeted killings of ulema and failure to arrest perpetrators reflected the government’s inefficiency.

They said the killing of Maulana Idrees had caused widespread grief and anger among millions of people of the province, while delay in arresting the culprits had further increased anxiety among religious circles.

The speakers warned that if the killers were not arrested, religious workers and supporters would march on Islamabad in protest.

Published in Dawn, May 15th, 2026