ISLAMABAD: Police in Pakistan’s federal capital confirmed a shooting incident on the outskirts of the city on Friday, saying it led to the killing of Maulana Masood-ur-Rehman Usmani, a religious cleric, whose vehicle was targeted by unknown gunmen.
Local media outlets identified Usmani as the central deputy general secretary of the Sunni Ulema Council. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack which targeted the cleric in his vehicle at a local housing society.
Pakistan has a history of religious and sectarian violence. The country has also seen a surge in violence ahead of the general elections scheduled to take place on February 8.
“There was firing on a vehicle in the Ghauri Town area of the Khanna Police Station,” the law enforcement agency said in a social media post. “One person was killed and one was injured in the firing. The deceased person was identified as Maulana Masood-ur-Rehman Usmani.”
Usmani was rushed to a nearby hospital along with his injured driver, though he could not survive the attack.
“Heavy police force is present at the spot [where the incident took place],” the Islamabad Police added in the post. “The suspects are being traced with the help of CCTV cameras. Soon they will be arrested and brought to justice.”
Unidentified gunmen fatally shoot Sunni Ulama Council cleric in Islamabad suburb
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Unidentified gunmen fatally shoot Sunni Ulama Council cleric in Islamabad suburb
- Police say they are using CCTV cameras to trace out suspects who shot Maulana Masood-ur-Rehman Usmani
- No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Pakistan has history of religious and political violence
Pakistani president arrives in Iraq to deepen trade, energy cooperation
- Visit follows recent high-level contacts as Islamabad seeks to expand limited commercial ties with Baghdad
- Talks are expected to cover investment, manpower and facilitation of Pakistani pilgrims visiting holy sites in Iraq
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Iraq on Saturday on an official visit aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, energy and investment, as Pakistan seeks to deepen ties with Baghdad after years of limited engagement.
Pakistan and Iraq established diplomatic relations in 1947 and have traditionally maintained cordial ties, though commercial links remain modest, with officials and business groups identifying scope for cooperation in construction services, pharmaceuticals, manpower and agricultural exports.
“President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Baghdad on a four-day official visit to Iraq,” his office said in a post on X. “He was received by Culture Minister Dr. Ahmed Fakkak Al-Badrani. During the visit, meetings with senior Iraqi leadership are expected to advance cooperation and further strengthen Pakistan-Iraq relations.”
Zardari’s visit follows a series of recent high-level contacts between the two countries, reflecting efforts to broaden bilateral engagement beyond traditional diplomatic ties and explore collaboration across economic, political and people-to-people domains.
According to Pakistan’s foreign office, the president is expected to hold meetings with Iraq’s senior leadership to discuss cooperation in various areas such as trade and investment, energy, technology, education and manpower.
He is also expected to discuss regional and international issues with Iraqi officials.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met his Iraqi counterpart, Abdul Ameer Al-Shammari, on the sidelines of meetings in Brussels, where both sides agreed to enhance cooperation on security and facilitate travel for Pakistani Shia pilgrims to Najaf and Karbala.
The two officials discussed measures to ensure the smoother movement of these pilgrims and their compliance with visa regulations.
