JUI-F Scholar Gunned Down in Lower South Waziristan Attack

LOWER SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: A religious scholar associated with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl was shot dead by unidentified attackers in the Azam Warsak area of Birmal tehsil, police confirmed on Saturday. The victim, identified as Maulana Muhammad Ismail, was attacked shortly after Friday prayers in another deadly incident involving a religious figure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s southern tribal districts.

District Police Officer Muhammad Tahir said the gunmen were travelling on a motorcycle when they opened fire on Ismail. The scholar suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene, while the assailants escaped before law-enforcement personnel could apprehend them.

Police registered an initial report and launched an investigation to establish the identity, motive and possible affiliations of those responsible. Investigators are reviewing the circumstances surrounding the shooting and examining different angles before determining whether it was a targeted attack or connected to another dispute.

Local tribal elders and police officials said Ismail belonged to the Kazha Panga area and taught at a religious seminary. His role as both a religious instructor and a figure affiliated with JUI-F is expected to make the investigation particularly sensitive, given earlier attacks against clerics and political-religious leaders in the region.

DPO Tahir said the inquiry would cover every relevant aspect of the case. Although no group immediately claimed responsibility, authorities are expected to collect witness accounts, trace the attackers’ route and examine any available communications or surveillance material that could help identify the motorcycle riders.

The killing follows a series of attacks involving religious and political figures in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In May, prominent cleric and former JUI-F provincial lawmaker Maulana Muhammad Idrees was killed when armed men fired on his vehicle in Charsadda, leaving two police officials injured.

Earlier in January, JUI-F leader Maulana Sultan Muhammad Wazir died after suffering critical injuries in a remotely triggered bomb attack near a seminary in Wana bazaar. Police at the time said the explosive device had apparently been planted to target the cleric, who also held a senior position in a religious education organisation.

Repeated violence against scholars and party representatives has raised concerns about the safety of community leaders in districts that have experienced prolonged security challenges. Religious teachers and local political figures often maintain extensive public contact, making their protection difficult while also increasing the social impact of attacks against them.

The latest incident is likely to renew demands for stronger intelligence gathering, improved policing and faster prosecution of those involved in targeted violence. Investigators have not announced any arrests, and the immediate focus will remain on identifying the assailants, determining the motive and preventing further attacks in Lower South Waziristan.