MANSEHRA: The police on Monday assured religious scholars of foolproof security following a recent surge in the targeted killings of clerics across the province.

“Your safety is our top priority, so we’re ready to provide you with security guards whenever the need arises. Still, you must remain vigilant,” DPO Shafiullah Khan Gandapur told religious scholars during a meeting at the New Circuit House here.

Deputy commissioner Khalid Iqbal, religious scholars from various schools of thought, and law-enforcement officials attended the meeting. The participants offered Fateha for the clerics killed in attacks across the province and other parts of the country.

Mr Gandapur said that the police had actively been working to maintain religious harmony during the holy month of Ramazan, which was the key purpose of the meeting.

DPO says patrols increased after recent attacks

“We’ve deployed our personnel outside mosques throughout the district and will further enhance security during Eidul Fitr to ensure the safety of prayer leaders and worshippers,” he said.

The DPO urged religious scholars to remain cautious and review their personal and mosques’ security protocols.

“If you or the mosque management notice any suspicious individuals or activities near your mosques, immediately inform us for prompt action,” he said.

Mr Gandapur said that the police had increased patrols across the district in response to the recent attacks on religious scholars in KP and other parts of the country.

On the occasion, religious scholar Maulana Wasiur Rehman thanked the police for their commitment to ensuring the safety of clerics.

“On behalf of the religious scholars, I assure you that we will continue to promote religious harmony, and no prayer leader will engage in hate speech during Friday and Eid sermons,” he said.

NAAT COMPETITION: A girl with a disability from Abbottabad has secured the top position in the 9th Right to Live Punjab-KP Naat Competition, an event organised for persons with disabilities.

The competitions were held at a local hotel and 18 male and female participants from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab presented the naats. Syed Madiah Naseer from Abbottabad clinched the first position.

Ali Ahmad from Rawalpindi and Zamir Ahmad from Mansehra secured second and third positions respectively. Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Munir Hussain Lughmani distributed certificates and cash prizes among the winners.

Addressing the event, MPA Munir Hussain Lughmani emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring job quotas for PWDs in public-sector departments.

“Our government has been taking all possible measures to ensure the implementation of the employment quota for persons with disabilities,” he said.

Mr Lughmani urged society to move beyond mere sympathy and recognise PWDs as valuable contributors to society by giving them due rights.

Chairman of Right to Live Mohammad Bilal, who is visually impaired, highlighted the importance of such events in raising awareness about the rights of PWDs.

“The government should ensure that PWDs receive their due rights through effective legislation and that their job quotas in public-sector departments are fully implemented,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2025