Tens of thousands protest Bajaur cleric’s murder

BAJAUR:

Tens of thousands of tribesmen on Saturday staged a protest demonstration against the cold blood murder of a local cleric in Bajaur tribal district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

They marched from Bajaur Press Club to Khar Chowk and chanted slogans against the district administration for its failure to provide security to the local clerics.

It may be mentioned here that on Thursday unidentified persons opened fire on a motor car in Inayat Kalay, killing Maulana Noor Muhammad and his brother Zubair. One man, identified as Qari Siraj, was left seriously injured in the attack who was rushed to the hospital where his condition was stated to be critical.

All of the injured and dead are the residents of Dama Dola area of Bajaur.

Bajaur Aman Action Committee had given a call for the protest demonstration against the attack which was attended by people from all walks of life including politicians from all parties.

Speakers on this occasion said that lawlessness was on the rise across the district without inviting any attention from the quarters concerned.

“Maulana Noor Muhammad and his brother were targeted in broad daylight in the crowded market place in Inayat Kaly and the attackers managed to escape after committing the crime,” they said, adding that the incidents of extortion, targeted attacks and bomb blasts were going up each passing day and the provincial government as well as police and district administration has failed to deal with it in an effective manner.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2023.