Sunni Ulema Council leader Maulana Usmani shot dead

ISLAMABAD: Sunni Ulema Council (SUC) leader Maulana Masood-ur-Rehman Usmani was assassinated on Friday by two unidentified gunmen in Ghauri Town, police said.

The gunmen intercepted Usmani’s car, sprayed it with bullets and escaped. Maulana Masood died on the spot, while the driver sustained multiple bullets and was shifted to hospital in critical condition.

The area police reached the spot, along with DPO (Rural), and cordoned off the area.

IGP Islamabad Dr Akbar Nasir told this reporter that the police had initiated an investigation and sent different teams to investigate.

Meanwhile, a group of people belonging to a religious party received the body and announced a protest in the Red Zone. Contingents of law-enforcement agencies have been deployed in and around the Red Zone to guard sensitive installations. The security of Red Zone and at other sensitive installations has been increased to avoid any untoward incident, a top police official confirmed.