Scores of students, teachers and members of the civil society on Monday protested the murder of district education officer Nawab Ali in Kolai-Palas Kohistan district.

On the call of the Shangla teachers association, protests and rallies were held across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including in Shangla, Nawab's native district.

On Saturday, Nawab was allegedly murdered in his office. Pallas Station House Officer (SHO) Muhammad Hafeez told Dawn that a first information report (FIR) was registered against unknown suspects under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Additionally, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT), led by Mansehra sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Ashiq Hussain, has also been formed to investigate the case on the request of the slain education officer's family.

Protesters in Bisham today blocked the main artery of Karakoram Highway for two hours as they chanted slogans against MPA Mufti Ubaidur Rehman, police and district commissioner of Kolai-Palas Kohistan, accusing them of being involved in the murder case.

Addressing the protesting students and teachers, speakers demanded of the government to arrest the culprits as well as police heads, Rehman and the DC for their alleged involvement in Nawab's death.

Suliman Khan, a close friend and relative of the slain education official, claimed that Nawab had recruited 14 Class-IV officials on the recommendation of a local MPA and an opposing group was against the appointment orders he had issued.

The protesters also demanded that a resolution to end the district status of Kolai-Palas Kohistan be passed, saying that an area where officers are killed did not deserve the status of a district.

Protests were also held in Pattan in Lower Kohistan, Shangla, Puran, Chakesar, Shahapur, Martung, Karora, Dehrai, Alpuri, Dandai and other areas.

Demonstrations were staged in schools and colleges across the province. In government and private schools, students and teachers offered prayers for the DEO and the national flag was flown at half-mast in all government schools.

The Shangla teachers association said that a black day will be observed tomorrow and schools will remain closed.

Read: Shangla residents block KKH against education official’s murder

Protests were also held on Sunday against Nawab's murder.

Meanwhile, Adviser to Chief Minister on Elementary and Secondary Education Ziaullah Bangash today visited Chakesar and expressed his condolences with Nawab's family.

He assured the family that he was in contact with the JIT, and that the chief minister had issued strict orders to arrest the suspects within 48 hours.

Additionally, the deputy inspector general of police was directed to take a personal interest in the case and to arrest the suspects as soon as possible.

DEO's death

SHO Hafeez said that after receiving information about Nawab's death, police had reached the DEO's office on Saturday where they found his body and a bullet. Another bullet was found outside his office.

A former tehsil council convener and a cousin of the DEO, Shaukat Ali, said that Nawab had been receiving threats to his life. However, he couldn't disclose who was threatening his slain relative.

Shaukat said that they were hopeful that the JIT would investigate the case in a better way and arrest the culprits.

Additionally, the district education office in Shangla said that Nawab's transfer to the Government Centennial Model School Alpuri Shangla was ordered a day before his death.

SHO Hafeez said that no one had been arrested in connection with Nawab's death as yet but that an investigation was underway.