ISLAMABAD: Unidentified assailants shot dead a prominent religious scholarbelonging to the Ahl-e-Hadith sect in Peshawar on Friday, police and familysources confirmed. Maulana Izzatullah, son of Aziz Khan, was attacked inBoard Bazaar area shortly after offering Jumma prayers.
The scholar served as a teacher at Jamia Athmadiah Safed Dheri and waswidely respected for sponsoring the education and upbringing of numerousorphan children across the province.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers opened fire as the cleric walked home fromthe mosque. His teenage son, who accompanied him, sustained bullet woundsin the leg and arm. The injured boy was immediately shifted to Lady ReadingHospital where his condition is stated to be stable.
Local police cordoned off the crime scene and collected forensic evidence.Senior officials reached the spot and formed special teams to trace theculprits. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the assassination.
Maulana Izzatullah had no known personal enmities, residents toldreporters, adding that he devoted his life to religious education andcharity work. Religious parties and scholars from different schools ofthought condemned the killing and demanded immediate arrest of theperpetrators.
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The incident has triggered fear among the clergy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwawhere targeted killings of religious figures have occurred sporadicallyover the past decade. Authorities assured that the case would be pursued onpriority.
Source: www.dawn.com/news/1875432″>https://www.dawn.com/news/1875432