A prominent religious cleric, Maulana Muhammad Idrees Tarangzai, was killed on Tuesday in what police have described as a targeted shooting in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) Charsadda, while two police constables were also injured in the attack.

According to details shared by police, the incident took place on Tuesday morning at around 08:10 am within the jurisdiction of Utmankhel Police Station, Charsadda. Four unidentified terrorists riding two motorcycles opened indiscriminate fire on the vehicle of the religious cleric, who was widely known as Sheikhul Hadith Maulana Muhammad Idrees.

Immediately after the incident, Maulana Idrees and the two injured constables were shifted to the hospital. However, the scholar succumbed to his injuries on the way, while the injured constables are currently receiving medical treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital in Charsadda.

The area was immediately cordoned off by the police, and a search operation was launched following the attack. The attackers fled the scene after carrying out the assault.

The K-P Inspector General of Police (IGP), Zulfiqar Hameed, took strict notice of the incident and ordered the formation of joint investigation teams (JIT) comprising the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and district police.

Police officials said investigative teams have obtained images of the attackers through Safe City cameras, and a search operation is underway to trace and arrest the suspects. Raids are being conducted at various locations on the basis of these images.

According to initial evidence, the incident appears to be a planned targeted killing. Police said initial investigations also support the conclusion that it was a premeditated attack.

IGP Hameed has constituted high-level investigation teams and directed them to conduct the inquiry on modern scientific lines. He reiterated that the perpetrators and their facilitators will be brought to justice soon and that peace and order in the region will be maintained.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif have expressed grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of prominent religious scholar Maulana Muhammad Idrees Tarangzai in an attack in Charsadda, Radio Pak reported.

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In a statement, the president extended heartfelt condolences to the family of the martyr and prayed to Almighty Allah for the elevation of his ranks.

The president said such cowardly terrorist acts cannot dampen the resolve of the nation, emphasising that the national resolve to eliminate terrorism from the beloved homeland remains firm and unwavering.

He said action against terrorist elements will continue indiscriminately, and the country will be made a cradle of peace.

Similarly, PM Shehbaz has also expressed deep grief and sorrow over the martyrdom of Maulana Muhammad Idrees Tarangzai.

In his statement, the prime minister extended heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the bereaved family and prayed for the departed soul.

He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the police personnel injured in the incident.

The K-P Chief Minister Sohail Afridi also took notice of the attack and strongly condemned it. In a statement, the chief minister sought a detailed report from police officials regarding the incident and directed authorities to ensure a thorough investigation.

He said the martyrdom of Maulana Idris was “deeply tragic” and expressed sorrow over the loss of life. “We stand with the bereaved family in this difficult time,” he said. CM Afridi added that he was “deeply saddened” upon hearing the news of the scholar’s killing and prayed for the elevation of the deceased’s ranks.

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Muhammad Idrees, popularly known as Sheikh Idrees, was born in Tarangzai village of Charsadda district of K-P. He was born in 1961 to Hakeem Maulana Abdul Haq, a well-known religious figure in his days, and was known by locals as Munazir-e-Islam. His grandfather was Mufti Shahzada, a Shaikh-ul-Hadees and graduate of Darul Uloom Deoband. Maulana Idrees is also the son-in-law of internationally renowned religious leader and Scholar Maulana Hassan Jan.

After getting his education completed, Maulana Idrees devoted himself to giving religious education to the youth of the nation. He started teaching at Jamia Nomania for that purpose and was still busy there in teaching and managing the institute. He has been the Amir of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) of Charsadda District. He was the sarparast-e-alaa of JUI-F in District Charsadda. Sheikh Idrees has also been a member of the provincial assembly of K-P.

He was also the son-in-law of Maulana Hassan Jan, who was martyred in 2007 in Peshawar’s Wazir Bagh area during the month of Ramadan while fasting, after issuing a fatwa against suicide attacks. Maulana Hassan Jan had won a National Assembly seat in the 1990 general elections, defeating Abdul Wali Khan.