Pre-dawn ambush: Religious scholar killed in DI Khan attack

Maulana Attaullah was one of the teachers of Maulana Fazlur Rahman

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A renowned religious scholar who was once a teacher of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was gunned down by unidentified men in a pre-dawn attack on Saturday.

Maulana Attaullah, also known as a prominent pir, was ambushed as he was coming out of a mosque after offering Fajr prayers near Bannu bus station within the jurisdiction of Cantonment police station, according to police.

Maulana Attaullah was immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Security personnel cordoned off the area and conducted a search operation in the nearby area after the killing. An FIR was filed against unknown killers in the Cantt police station.

Shops and business centers remained closed all day because of the tense security situation in the district.



Maulana Attaullah’s funeral prayers were offered after Asr prayers and the scholar was buried in his native town Panyala.

The deceased was held in high esteem by the JUI-F chief and was also greatly respected by the people in Dera Ismail Khan.

He was also the Sajjada Nashin of the Khanqah of Yasin Zai with thousands of followers spread across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

Criticising police performance, local people said that police had failed to provide security, and four people had been killed in targeted attacks over the past four days. The deceased included two policemen. Two passers-by were also injured in these attacks.

Terrorists had previously targeted Shia scholars and other influential leaders in Dera Ismail Khan, and people were astonished after the killing of a prominent Sunni scholar.

Correction: A previous copy of this news story mentioned an incorrect name of the deceased name as Atta Ur Rehman coupled with the wrong photograph. The error is regretted and has been fixed.