Prominent cleric Maulana Muhammad Idrees shot dead in Charsadda attack

CHARSADDA: Renowned cleric Maulana Muhammad Idrees was shot dead on Tuesday after unidentified attackers opened fire on his vehicle in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Charsadda district, police said.

Police Personal Relations Officer Safiullah said Idrees had left his home in Tarangzai for Darul Uloom Noumania when the attack took place. According to the police official, gunmen targeted the vehicle in the Tariqabad Utmanzai area shortly before he reached his destination.

Safiullah said two officials were also injured in the firing. He added that police had obtained CCTV footage of the incident as part of the investigation.

After the attack, the cleric's body was shifted to the District Headquarter Hospital, according to police.

Police chief seeks report

Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed took notice of the killing. According to a post on X by KP police, the inspector general sought a report from the Mardan regional police officer.

The post said the police chief also directed the official concerned to take the necessary steps to arrest those responsible for the attack.

IG Hameed also expressed condolences to the bereaved family and said those involved in the incident would be arrested soon, according to the KP police post.

No group was identified in the police account of the attack, and the assailants were described as unidentified.

The incident took place as Idrees was travelling from his residence to the seminary, where he was headed before the vehicle came under fire. Police said the shooting occurred moments before his arrival at Darul Uloom Noumania.

Authorities have not publicly shared further details about the attackers in the information released so far, but police said CCTV footage had been secured from the scene. The footage is expected to assist investigators as they pursue those behind the killing and the wounding of the two officials.

The killing of the cleric prompted an immediate response from the provincial police leadership, with the inspector general formally seeking details from the relevant regional command and ordering action for the arrest of the perpetrators.

Police have so far stated that the attack was carried out by armed assailants who opened fire on the vehicle in the Tariqabad Utmanzai area of Charsadda.