Religious scholars give cops 48 hours to trace cleric’s killers

Religious scholars issued on Monday a 48-hour ultimatum to the police for the arrest of those responsible for the assassination of prominent cleric Maulana Dr Adil Khan.

Meanwhile, members of the Karachi Ulema Committee started meetings with religious scholars. According to sources, the scholars were consulting and planning a strategy for their future course of action in case the police fail to arrest the culprits. Options including wheel-jam strikes are reportedly under consideration.

Maulana Adil Khan, the administrator of Jamia Farooqia seminary, was gunned down along with his driver in Shah Faisal Colony on Saturday. The attackers, on a motorcycle, opened fire at him and his driver Maqsood, fleeing the scene afterwards.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the assassination. Taking to Twitter the same night, the premier wrote that for the last three months, his government had been aware of Indian attempts to target Shia and Sunni scholars in order to create sectarian unrest.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2020.