CHARSADDA: Police have identified one suspect allegedly involved in the murder of prominent cleric Maulana Muhammad Idrees, officials said on Wednesday.
Maulana Idrees was martyred in a targeted attack on Tuesday in the Utmanzai area of Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to police, the suspect was identified with the help of CCTV footage, and raids are currently being carried out in Akbarpura and Nowshera to arrest him.
The investigation is being conducted jointly by the police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD). Authorities have also launched search operations in the surrounding areas of Charsadda.
Officials said the identified suspect is believed to be linked to a banned outfit. The scope of the investigation has been expanded, including profiling of suspects, tracking suspicious vehicles, and examining call data records.
The investigation team has contacted relevant institutions to obtain mobile phone data from the crime scene.
Police have also recorded the statement of the driver of Maulana Idrees’ vehicle and decided to include suspects from previous high-profile cases in the Mardan region as part of the probe.
Maulana Idrees was a senior teacher at Darul Uloom Haqqania and a former member of the provincial assembly affiliated with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI).
He was on his way to deliver a Hadith lesson as usual when the attack took place.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the killing and extended condolences to the bereaved family.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Muhammad Sohail Afridi strongly condemned the attack and sought a report from police authorities. He termed the incident tragic and assured full support to the bereaved family, while directing officials to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured personnel.