Govt orders FC deployment at JUI-F chief’s residence in DI Khan

Islamabad/Dera Ismail Khan (Web Desk): The federal government has decided to deploy a platoon of Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel outside the residence of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Dera Ismail Khan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, amid rising security concerns.

According to a letter dated June 29, the Ministry of Interior instructed the FC commandant in Peshawar to position one platoon of personnel at the JUI-F chief’s residence to prevent any untoward incidents. This decision follows directives from the Prime Minister’s Office, in light of recent security threats involving Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s son, Asjad Mahmood.

Last month, Asjad Mahmood’s vehicle was intercepted by armed assailants on the main highway while traveling from DI Khan to Lakki Marwat, sparking alarm within the government.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently visited Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence in Islamabad, expressing serious concern over the attack and the attempted kidnapping of Mahmood. According to a statement from the PM’s Media Office, the Prime Minister inquired about Mahmood’s health and ordered the immediate arrest of those responsible along with swift legal action.

Security threats against JUI-F leaders have escalated in recent years, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On May 15, a powerful bomb targeted the vehicle of local JUI-F leader Maulana Noorullah near a seminary in South Waziristan; Noorullah and accompanying party leaders escaped unharmed.

On April 25, a roadside explosion in the Kalat district killed a local JUI-F leader and two women while injuring five others. The blast, caused by an improvised explosive device, hit a pickup vehicle carrying eight people, including Maulana Abdullah Nachari, a local party leader and union council member.

Earlier, on March 14, a bomb exploded at a mosque in South Waziristan during Friday prayers, seriously injuring JUI district chief Abdullah Nadeem and causing minor injuries to three others.

In another tragic incident on March 2, two JUI-F leaders in Balochistan were killed in the Zehri area of Khuzdar district.

The federal government’s move to reinforce security at Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s residence comes amid these ongoing threats, reflecting the heightened security environment faced by political leaders in the region.