Says all available resources will be used to bring those involved in the incident to justice
KP CM Sohail Afridi. Photo: Screengrab
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Thursday expressed deep concern over the prevailing law and order situation in the province and said strict directives had been issued to the relevant authorities to apprehend the killers of Maulana Muhammad Idrees.
“I am personally reviewing progress on a daily basis. All available resources will be used to bring those involved in this incident to justice,” he said during his visit to Charsadda district to attend a prayer for the pastor.
The chief minister asked pointed questions: “Why do such incidents happen? Why are the Pakhtuns still displaced and insecure today?”
He added that the enemies of peace did not distinguish between any party, school of thought or organization, but systematically targeted any effective and capable figure.
He also expressed sympathy and condolences to the bereaved family, disciples and associates of the slain religious leader.
Addressing the participants, Afridi described the incident as a “monumental tragedy”. “His religious, academic and intellectual services will always be remembered,” the chief minister said.
Read more: Renowned cleric Muhammad Idrees was killed in a targeted attack in Charsadda
He noted that the massive attendance of people from all walks of life at the funeral prayer was a clear proof that Maulana Idrees was a figure who stood firm for truth and justice.
“The government and the people stand shoulder to shoulder with the bereaved family in this hour of grief,” Afridi added.
Afridi traced the roots of the region’s instability to 2002. “Since then, this region has been plagued by continuous unrest, terrorism and bloodshed. For the last 23 years, our people have been carrying coffins. This must end now.”
He further stated that all political and religious parties, along with different factions, had rejected policies formulated behind closed doors on the floor of the assembly. “Yet powerful circles continue to impose such policies on the nation at gunpoint,” he lamented.
Emphasizing the collective responsibility, the chief minister said, “This is not the struggle of a single person, party or class. This is our collective struggle. We can no longer afford decisions taken in closed rooms because the people are demanding peace.”
