There was a shocking incident wherein Mufti Abdul Baqi Noorzai, the chief leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-JUI and influential Islamic scholar, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near Quetta Airport in Baluchistan Province. The attack was carried out when Noorzai, who had been a prominent figure in the region, was killed in broad daylight, hence, sparking concerns over growing security issues in the area.
This recent attack further underlines the rising violence against religious leaders and personalities in Pakistan. The circumstances of Noorzai’s assassination are still unclear, but it is another dark milestone in Pakistan’s struggle with militants and instability in the region.
The incident timing is especially interesting since just days prior, Abu Qatal, a key aide to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader Hafiz Saeed, was also assassinated by unknown attackers. Abu Qatal was a key player with direct connections to extremist elements across the region, and his assassination was added to the tall list of victims in the daily sectarian and political bloodshed in Balochistan and elsewhere.
Pakistan itself has long struggled with extremism, and the deaths of these well-known figures could further heighten tensions between different factions within the nation. With a tumultuous security climate and militant groups increasingly gaining power, the killing of Noorzai is a strong indication of the ongoing risks to religious and political leaders in the region.
The authorities have still not identified the perpetrators, but they are under growing pressure from the public and global community to provide justice to the murdered scholar. This terrible incident reminds us of the unstable political and religious situation in Pakistan and the difficulties of those attempting to keep the region peaceful.
Comments are closed.