Pakistan: Religious scholar shot dead in ‘targeted attack’ in Karachi

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 21 (ANI): A cleric was killed in a firing incident at a mosque in Karachi’s Gulistan-i-Jauhar locality on Tuesday morning, Dawn reported citing local police.

The local police, investigating the case, revealed that the deceased cleric was identified as Mufti Abdul Qayum, 45, who is associated with the Sunni Ulema Council. The cleric was gunned down by unidentified men riding pillion on a motorcycle in the locality’s Block-9.

In today’s early morning around 7 am, the incident occurred after which the body was sent to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre to fulfil legal formalities.

The East-SSP, Zubair Nazeer Shaikh said that it was a targeted killing incident, according to Dawn.

He further stated that the scholar was on foot when pillion riders fired a bullet at his head from close range and fled.

“The victim was associated with prominent religious scholar Mufti Munibur Rehman,” the SSP said.

Regarding the case, scholar Munib in a statement said that Allama Sufi Abdul Qayum was a prominent Ahle Sunnat religious scholar.

“The victim was Khateeb and head of the Jamia Masjid Muhammadia Noorania and Islamic Centre in Architect Society, Gulistan-i-Jauhar respectively,” the statement read.

He was also the Head of Women Islamic Mission University in Gulshan-i-Iqbal and a former teacher of Jamia Anwarul Quran in the Gulshan-i-Iqbal seminary. He was going home after offering his Fajr prayers in the mosque when he was shot in the head, reported Dawn.

The scholar, in the statement, said that the APP Society in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Block-8 had given land in writing to Saylani Welfare International Trust to construct a mosque there.

The statement said the trust had constructed the mosque and appointed their imam/khateeb owing to which, certain people started a drive to “take control” of the mosque.

According to the statement, he alleged that “it is being said” that a Qabza group (landgrabbers) linked to a mosque in APP Society was involved in the murder, but “God knows better”.

“Allama Sufi Abdul Qayum was a gentleman, soft-spoken and muttaqi (pious) person,” Mufti Munib added.

“We demand the chief minister of Sindh, provincial home minister, IG police and additional IG police Karachi to arrest the murderers and bring them to justice,” Dawn reported while quoting him.