Pakistan: Unknown gunmen shot dead religious preacher in mosque

The slain religious preacher was identified as Mufti Shah Meer Aziz.

He was a member of the Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) party.

According to reports, he was reportedly shot when he was offering prayer at a local mosque in Turbat city on Friday night.

He was killed on the spot.

“Mufti Shah Meer Aziz was praying inside the mosque. One attacker barged inside the mosque and another was standing at the exit,” District Police Officer (DPO) Rashid-ur-Rehman Zehri told Arab News.

“Mufti Shah Meer Aziz was killed on the spot, and the prayer leader of the mosque was injured," he said.

Zehri said the incident appeared to be an instance of a targeted attack.

No group has claimed responsibility for the incident so far.

“Police have initiated investigation and hunt for the attackers,” he added.

Police said this was the second attack on JuI members in Balochistan within a week.

Two JUI members, Wadera Ghulam Sarwar and Molvi Amanullah, were killed in a gun attack in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district on March 2, reported Arab News.

JUI Leader Umrani Killed Last Year

Last year, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leader Mir Aslam Khan Umrani was shot dead on National Highway in Naseerabad district of Pakistan.

The attack occurred when he was on his way to Dera Murad Jamali.

He died on the spot.

The attackers opened fire on his vehicle.

Pakistan Witnessing Surge In Terror Strikes

Pakistan has been witnessing a spike in terror attacks since 2022 after the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November of that year.

The recent attacks are taking place in the country at a time when Pakistan is hosting the Champions Trophy, an ICC event.

It is the first time Pakistan is hosting an ICC event since the 1996 World Cup, which it co-hosted with India and Sri Lanka.

Foreign teams were not visiting Pakistan after the gunmen attacked a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers in 2009.

India, however, refused to travel to Pakistan to play the 50-over tournament.

The country, which will play the final against New Zealand, played all its matches in Dubai.