MARDAN, Oct 2: Dr Mohammad Farooq Khan, a religious scholar and vice-chancellor of Swat Islamic University, was gunned down in his clinic here on Saturday. One of his assistants was also shot dead.

Police quoted eyewitnesses as saying that two armed men entered Dr Khan's clinic, in Baghdada locality, saying that they were patients. But as soon as they saw the doctor, they opened fire, killing him on the spot.

Dr Farooq's assistant, Mohammad Saleem, was shot dead by the assailants when he offered resistance. The assailants escaped.

(“One of the attackers fired several shots at Dr Farooq with his pistol. He died on the spot,” Waqif Khan, city police chief, told AFP by telephone.)

Dr Farooq was a psychiatrist by profession. He frequently took part in television talk shows at which he used to criticise militants and described suicide attacks as un-Islamic.

In his student days, he was an active member of the Islami Jamiat-i-Talaba. Later on, he took part in a general election on a Jamaat-i-Islami ticket. However, he was expelled from the Jamaat after writing a book. For some time he also remained associated with the Tehrik-i-Insaf.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Owais Ghani and Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti condemned the killing, terming it a great loss for the nation. Inside...

Opinion

Editorial

Poll petitions’ delay
Updated 06 Jan, 2025

Poll petitions’ delay

THOUGH electoral transparency and justice are essential for the health of any democracy, the relevant quarters in...
Migration racket
06 Jan, 2025

Migration racket

A KEY part of dismantling human smuggling and illegal migration rackets in the country — along with busting the...
Power planning
06 Jan, 2025

Power planning

THE National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, the power sector regulator, has rightly blamed poor planning for...
Confused state
Updated 05 Jan, 2025

Confused state

WHEN it comes to combatting violent terrorism, the state’s efforts seem to be suffering from a lack of focus. The...
Born into hunger
05 Jan, 2025

Born into hunger

OVER 18.2 million children — 35 every minute — were born into hunger in 2024, with Pakistan accounting for 1.4m...
Tourism triumph
05 Jan, 2025

Tourism triumph

THE inclusion of Gilgit-Baltistan in CNN’s list of top 25 destinations to visit in 2025 is a proud moment for...