JUI-F holds second round of protests over killing of Maulana Idrees

PESHAWAR: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Friday held a second round of protest rallies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa against the killing of prominent cleric Maulana Muhammad Idrees, according to a statement released by the party’s media cell.

On Tuesday, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced that the party would hold two rounds of protest rallies — on Wednesday and Friday — against the “martyrdom” of the cleric. The party had also staged demonstrations on Wednesday.

“On the appeal of the JUI-F, protest rallies were held across all districts of the province today after Friday prayers against the killing of Maulana Idrees,” the statement said.

It added that a large protest demonstration was also staged by JUI-F outside the Peshawar Press Club, with protesters demanding the immediate arrest of the killers of Maulana Idrees.

The statement said the protestors decried the worsening law and order situation in the province and the “frequent killings of religious scholars”.

“JUI is being punished for standing with the Constitution, law, and the state,” said the statement.

The statement also quoted JUI-F provincial spokesperson Abdul Jalil Jan as saying: “After Friday prayers today, strong protests were held at district and tehsil levels in Peshawar, Charsadda, Mardan, Nowshera, Swabi, Haripur, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Kohistan, Battagram, Torghar, Shangla, Swat, Buner, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Chitral, Malakand, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Karak, Hangu, Kohat, and the tribal districts.”

Addressing the demonstrations, the statement said that JUI-F provincial and district leaders condemned the deteriorating law and order situation across the province, the killing of religious scholars, and government measures against madrasas.

“They said those trying to remove religious scholars from the scene should know that the JUI-F will continue to fight for the defence of Islam and Pakistan. They assured the central leadership that workers across the province would be ready at a moment’s notice,” the party statement added.

A large protest demonstration was also held outside the Peshawar Press Club.

Addressing the protest demonstration, the party leadership held the provincial government, administration, and state institutions responsible for the killing of religious scholars, the statement added.

Maulana Idrees was killed on Tuesday after unidentified assailants opened fire on his vehicle in the Tari­qabad area of Utmanzai.