A religious scholar affiliated with the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has been shot dead by unidentified gunmen in South Waziristan after Friday prayers, police said on Saturday.
District Police Officer Muhammad Tahir confirmed that Maulana Muhammad Ismail was attacked in the Azam Warsak area of Birmal tehsil when assailants riding a motorcycle opened fire on him. He died at the scene, while the attackers escaped.
Police have registered a case and launched an investigation, Tahir said, adding that officers were examining all possible motives behind the killing.
According to police, Ismail was a resident of Kazha Panga and taught at a local religious seminary. Local tribal elders also confirmed his identity and role in the community.
Authorities have not identified the attackers, and no group has claimed responsibility for the shooting.
The killing comes months after a string of attacks involving senior JUI-F figures in the province.
In May, former JUI-F member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Maulana Muhammad Idrees was shot dead in Charsadda after unidentified gunmen opened fire on him.
In January, JUI-F leader Maulana Sultan Muhammad Wazir died from injuries sustained in a bomb explosion near a madrassah in Wana Bazaar, South Waziristan. He had been critically wounded in the blast before succumbing to his injuries later.
Police have stated that efforts are under way to trace the killers and that the investigation remained in progress.
