Alarm as militants intercept car of Maulana Fazl’s son

PESHAWAR: An attempt to intercept the car of the son of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman by a number of armed militants in Dera Ismail Khan has set the alarm bells ringing for police and other security forces.

Senior police officials told The News the case was being investigated while the regional police officer Dera Ismail Khan had been directed to launch joint patrolling along with National Highways and Motorway Police for improved security on highways and CPEC routes.

According to senior JUIF leadership, Maulana Asjad Mahmood, a son of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, was intercepted by dozens of armed militants when he was on way from Dera Ismail K to Lakki Marwat to condole the death of a party worker a few days back. The guards of the JUIF leader also took positions to defend Maulana Asjad at all costs.

The JUIF leader was stopped for some time on the main national highway in the limits of Yarik Police Station in Dera Ismail Khan before the armed men talked to their commander and later allowed him to go.

The JUIF Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the law and order in the province, particularly Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu divisions, for the last few years. The JUIF KP leadership said the security situation in southern districts was a big question mark for the chief minister and governor, both belonging to Dera Ismail Khan.

A number of religious scholars have come under attack in KP and Balochistan in the recent months.

According to police, a major attack was thwarted on a JUIF rally in Peshawar in May when police intercepted a suicide bomber on the route to the venue of the rally, addressed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Two policemen were martyred in the blast and three others wounded.

There were reports that shots were fired at the vehicle of former MPA Aghaz Gandapur in Dera Ismail Khan the other day. There was no casualty in the incident as Aghaz was not in his car. Shots were fired at his residence a few months back in which a policeman was martyred.

Father and uncle of Aghaz Gandapur, Ikramullah Gandapur and Israr Gandapur, both former provincial ministers, were martyred in separate suicide attacks in the past.

The spokesman for the KP Police Shahzada Kokab Farooq said that police had been directed to launch investigation and increase patrolling in the area.

He said the KP Police had adopted an aggressive policy and most of the attacks had been repulsed. He said security would be ensured on CPEC and other routes as well as to senior political leadership.

He added RPO had been directed to set up joint checkposts and increase joint patrolling along with NHMP.