Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Renowned religious scholar in Charsadda Sheikh-ul-Hadith Maulana Haq Nawaz was shot dead by target killers in early hours of Wednesday in his native Mughal Khel area.

According to details, administrator of Darul Uloom Jamia Muhammadia, Sheikh-ul-Hadith Maulana Haq Nawaz was returning home after Fajr prayers when unidentified persons opened fire on him before escaping the scene. Maulana breathed his last on the spot.

Later in the day, residents of Mughal Khel came out of their houses and blocked various roads in the district to protest the gruesome incident, disrupting the flow of traffic.
The funeral prayer for the slain religious scholar was offered in Matta Mughal Khel. He was laid to rest in the same cemetery.

Maulana Haq Nawaz was widely respected in the religious quarters.Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Maulana Syed Gohar Shah expressed grief over the incident and termed it a great loss to Islam and the people.

He said that they would not remain silent over the cowardly act, alleging that seminaries and religious scholars were being targeted under a hatched conspiracy.

He said that the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl would not hesitate from rendering any sacrifice to foil the evil designs of anti-Islam forces. He said that the services of Maulana Haq Nawaz that he had rendered for Islam would always be remembered.

He asked the government and police high-ups to take serious notice of the incident and expose the real culprits involved in the murder, failing which the JUI-F would launch a protest campaign.