Religious scholar Maulana Adil Khan laid to rest in Karachi

Ag APP

KARACHI: Funeral prayers of renowned religious scholar Maulana Dr Adil Khan, who was shot dead in the city a day earlier, were offered on Sunday following which he was laid to rest.

The Maulana and his driver were gunned down in Karachi’s Shah Faisal Colony on Saturday evening. The religious scholar, who was the head of a city’s seminary, Jamia Farooqia, was on his way to his residence at Hub River Road from Darul Uloom, Korangi, when armed assailants targeted him. An investigation into the incident has been launched, and geo-fencing of the incident site has also been conducted.

A large number of people, including scholars, religious figures and students, attended Maulana Adil’s funeral prayers at Jamia Farooqia, Hub River Road. Prominent among them were Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Mufti Muhammad Rafi Usmani, Maulana Hanif Jalandhari, Senator Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Maulana Rashid Soomro, Superintendent of Jamia Binoria Mufti Noman and Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman. Maulana Adil was buried at Farooqia University next to his father Maulana Saleemullah Khan.

Meanwhile, the Sindh government has imposed a ban on pillion riding in Karachi for the next 30 days to avoid any untoward situation. “The additional IG Karachi has conveyed that there are some reports that miscreants and disgruntled elements may disturb peace and create law and order problem in Karachi,” read a notification.

Condemning Maulana Adil’s assassination, President Dr Arif Alvi resolved that anti-Pakistan elements would never succeed in their nefarious designs. The President said in order to thwart the designs of anti-Pakistan elements, the people of Pakistan would have to forge unity and harmony in the society. He promised that culprits of the heinous crime would soon be brought to justice.

Slamming the religious scholar’s killing, Prime Minister Imran Khan blamed India for attempting to stir sectarian conflict in Pakistan. He tweeted: “My govt has known & I have repeatedly stated this on TV, since last 3 months India’s attempts to target kill Aalims from Sunni & Shia sects to create sectarian conflict across the country.

“We have prevented a number of such attempts preemptively in last few months. Our intelligence orgs & law enforcement agencies will nab culprits of this murder also. Our ulema from all sects must ensure people do not fall prey to this nefarious Indian design to destabilise Pak.”

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa also strongly condemned Maulana Adil’s assassination, terming it “an attempt to foment unrest by Pakistan’s enemies”.

In a tweet on Sunday, the director general (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations said the Army chief had expressed grief over the killing and had directed all-out support to civil administration to bring the criminals to justice.

“Expressing grief on assassination of renowned religious scholar Maulana Adil in Karachi, #COAS strongly condemned the incident and termed it an attempt to foment unrest by Pakistan’s enemies. COAS directed all out support to civil administration to bring the criminals to justice,” tweeted the DG ISPR.