Another voice silenced as a senior leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Balochistan’s Dera Murad Jamali area, in what appears to be the latest in a series of attacks targeting the party’s leadership across Pakistan.
According to local sources, armed attackers opened fire on Maulvi Abdul Rahman Sasoli, also known as Jozi, killing him on the spot before fleeing the scene. Law enforcement agencies launched an investigation and began efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible.
The killing has once again highlighted security threats faced by JUI-F, a religious-political party that has consistently rejected terrorism and publicly supported Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts. The party has repeatedly opposed terrorist narratives and backed the state’s stance against extremist violence, making its leaders frequent targets of attacks over the years.
JUI-F officials and supporters condemned the killing and demanded the immediate arrest of the perpetrators. Party circles described Abdul Rahman Sasoli as an active local leader who had remained vocal against extremist ideologies.
The attack follows a long list of assaults against JUI-F figures. Earlier, Maulana Sheikh Idris was assassinated in Charsadda, while Maulana Sultan was martyred in South Waziristan in January this year. In previous incidents, Maulana Abdul Salam was targeted in Charsadda, and Mufti Habibullah Haqqani was shot dead in the Barawal area of Upper Dir.
The party has also faced attacks in Balochistan. Maulana Hafiz Gul was seriously wounded in an attack in Chaman, while Maulana Abdullah Nechari was among four people killed in a roadside bomb explosion that also left several others injured.
In June last year, Maulana Asjad Mahmood, the youngest son of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. A month earlier, police foiled a planned suicide attack targeting a JUI-F gathering in Peshawar. Two police personnel, including a sub-inspector, were martyred while preventing the attacker from reaching the rally, and three others sustained injuries.
Security analysts note that many attacks against JUI-F leaders in recent years have been claimed by Islamic State Khorasan Province, also known as ISIS-K, which has repeatedly targeted religious scholars and political figures opposing its ideology.
Authorities have yet to determine whether the latest killing was linked to terrorist groups or other motives, but investigators say all possibilities are being examined as efforts continue to trace the attackers.
