PESHAWAR: Members and supporters of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) staged protest rallies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday at the party’s call, condemning the killing of prominent religious scholar Maulana Muhammad Idrees.
The protests were held after Friday prayers in several districts and tehsils, including Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Swat, Bannu, and several tribal districts.
A major protest was staged outside the Peshawar Press Club, where party leaders condemned the killing and demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible.
The protest was led by former governor Ghulam Ali, provincial information secretary Abdul Jalil Jan, MPA Ijaz Khan, Maulana Ahmad Saeed, Maulana Amanullah Haqqani, Zubair Ali, and others.
Addressing the protesters, JUI-F leaders accused the government and administration of failing to maintain law and order in the province.
They said the deteriorating security situation and repeated attacks on religious scholars reflected the incompetence and negligence of the rulers.
Speakers at the rally alleged that religious seminaries and scholars were being targeted under an “international agenda” and claimed the party was being punished for standing by the Constitution, the law, and the state.
The demonstrators raised slogans against the provincial government while reaffirming their commitment to continue what they described as the struggle for the defence of Islam and Pakistan.
Party leaders also warned that workers across the province were ready to respond to any call from the central leadership and vowed to continue their mission despite what they termed “state oppression and injustice.”
