By Syed Tauqeer Zaidi
DERA ISMAIL KHAN: A protest rally was held under the banner of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam against the killing of Shaheed Sheikh-ul-Hadith Maulana Muhammad Idrees in Dera Ismail Khan.
The rally started from GPO Chowk and proceeded towards Topanwala, with a large number of party workers and local residents participating.
It was led by District General Secretary Chaudhry Ashfaq Advocate, Qari Ejaz Farooqi, Qari Umair Farooqi, Naveed Ahmed Nizami, Hafiz Adil, Lal Khuroti, Jamal Abdul Nasir Advocate High Court and Amber Nawaz Advocate, along with other leaders.
Participants carried banners and placards and raised slogans in tribute to Maulana Muhammad Idrees, praising his religious services. They described his killing as a major loss for the religious community and expressed concern over what they called the continued targeted killings of religious scholars.
Addressing the rally, speakers criticised the government for failing to ensure the safety of religious scholars and citizens. They said that if the authorities could not provide adequate security, scholars should be allowed to make their own arrangements for protection.
They questioned how long the country would continue to witness the funerals of prominent religious figures and declared the provincial government unsuccessful in protecting its people.
The protesters demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible and warned that failure to do so could lead to a protest march towards Peshawar.
Speakers further said the killing of religious scholars was unacceptable and reiterated their resolve to stand against what they described as terrorist elements. They said Pakistan was founded on the Kalima and would continue under those who believe in it.
