DID Press: Hafiz Maulana Abdul-Salam Arif, a prominent cleric and senior member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), was assassinated in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Unknown gunmen opened fire on him in Charsadda shortly after he finished prayers, killing him on the spot, police sources confirmed.
According to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, Maulana Arif was attacked on Tuesday in the Ingar Bari Band area of Tangi tehsil, Charsadda district, while returning from a mosque. Safdar Khan, the investigating police officer, said that two assailants on a motorcycle fled the scene immediately after firing.
Police in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa say a comprehensive investigation is underway, with specialized teams deployed to examine the crime scene and collect evidence.
No group has claimed responsibility so far, though the Islamic State (ISIS) has previously taken credit for several similar attacks targeting JUI members.
Maulana Abdul-Salam Arif was the head of Abu Bakr Siddiq religious seminary and a member of the provincial council of JUI led by Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman. He was regarded as an influential religious figure in the region.
Reacting to the killing, JUI chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman strongly condemned the assassination and urged the Pakistani government to identify and punish those responsible.
Security analysts warn that the recent wave of assassinations targeting JUI clerics reflects a rising threat from extremist groups against traditional religious factions in Pakistan — a development that could have significant political and security implications for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.