Pakistan has come a long way in the war of terror it found itself in after the enlightened moderation era of Gen Pervez Musharraf. After the military operations in the erstwhile FATA, the terrorists’ power has waned. However, peace is still a dream as outlaws continue to kill in various parts of the country.

A prominent Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) leader, Maulana Abdul Hayee Baloch, was recently gunned down in Punjgur, Balochistan, sending shock waves among his peace-loving followers and supporters.

The incident took place in the Sordo area of Panjgur town in Makran division. Maulana Abdul Hayee was laid to rest in Gwarjack graveyard.

Maulana Hassan Jan Sordo, a lifelong companion of the late Maulana, talked to this scribe via telephone about his life and achievements. “Shaheed-i-Islam Maulana Abdul Hayee was born in 1978 to Maulana Qadir Bakhsh. His mother passed away in his childhood. He was brought up with great care by his father,” he said.

Maulana Abdul Hayee graduated from Miftah-ul-Uloom Sordo in Panjgur. After graduating in 1997, he taught for one year at a seminary located in Turbat, Kech, of Mullah Ibrahim on the orders of founder of Jamia Miftahul Uloom Sordo, Maulana Rehmatullah, who was his teacher. In 1999, Maulana Abdul Hayee’s thirst for knowledge led him to the University of Madina, where he studied for six years. Every year he performed Hajj and Umrah and served the pilgrims from Pakistan. On his return, he started teaching at Jamia Miftahul Uloom, Sordo, Panjgur.

In 2009, on the insistence of local dignitaries and religious friends, the Maulana laid the foundation of the Madressah Arabia Khair-ul-Madaris, Mahmoodia.

Maulana Jan Sordo told this scribe, “Abdul Hayee sahib was a practicing religious scholar. He was kind-hearted and always helped the poor.

“He found peace in helping widows and the poor. He helped disputes, including some that could have led to bloodshed,” Maulana Hassan explained.

“Maulana Hayee continued to serve Islam till his last breath. He twice held the post of district convener and served as district deputy emir of JUI-F until his martyrdom. Maulana Shaheed was a fearless and true mujahid of Islam. He never backed down from speaking the truth,” Maulana Hassan maintained.

On Wednesday, May 26, he was shot by unidentified assailants at one o’clock in the afternoon.

“The first person who reached the scene related, ‘I ran towards Maulvi sahib. He was alive at that time. When he saw me, he smiled, said something and breathed his last.”

According to Mufti Asif Usman, another companion of Maulana Abdul Hayee, “We used to call Maulvi Sahib’s car an ambulance, because every poor and needy person in the town used it for going to hospital.”

Maulana Abdul Hayee was on his way home from Madressah Arabia Khair-ul-Madaris Mahmoodia when armed attackers opened fire at his car. He received multiple wounds and died on the spot.

“Shaheed Hayee always helped people even if the patients had to be taken to Karachi or Quetta. I faced such a situation when my brother had a heart attack. The doctor said he should be taken to Karachi for treatment. Maulana Hayee immediately agreed to help,” said Mufti Asif

Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, the JUI general secretary, speaking on the Senate floor on May 28, demanded an inquiry report on the assassination of Maulana Hayee.

Haideri regretted that unrest had again spread in Pakistan.

“Abdul Hayee was a young religious scholar. A week earlier, eight people were killed and a dozen injured in a bomb blast in Chaman,” added Maulana Haidari.

A local journalist from Panjgur, on condition of anonymity, told this scribe that Maulana Abdul Hayee was on his way home from Madressah Arabia Khair-ul-Madaris Mahmoodia when armed attackers opened fire at his car. He suffered several wounds and died on the spot.

“Maulana was among top religious scholars of Panjgur. He proved his mettle among religious circles and was a well-respected cleric,” the local journalist said. “Running a large-scale religious seminary in Panjgur was not an easy task,” he added.

Senator Maulana Haideri spoke about the ‘rising’ unrest in the country. Haideri said ten members of a family had been gunned down in Kandhkot, Sindh. “Just look at the Shikarpur ransom incidents where dacoits and outlaws are claiming the backing of local sardars (tribal elders) as well as ministers. These are not the normal times,” he said.

Haideri said a similar situation was reported from Dera Ghazi Khan. “Sometimes the Punjab government is all geared up against them (outlaws), but it seems like a drama in which they claim to have demolished the criminals’ hideouts,” he said.

The killing of Maulana Abdul Hayee has started a debate whether the recent killings represent a surge across the country.

Police and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel took the body to the district hospital, where many JUI-F workers and students of the seminary had gathered.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the killing. Haideri said, “These incidents are happening one after the other, and the same situation is in Sindh, the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the same.” The JUI-F general secretary told his fellow Senate members, “We have seen aerial bombing in the erstwhile FATA. Now these people are rising again. Where is the government’s writ? “

Maulana Hayee, it is said, had no personal enemies and was a very peace-loving person. Perhaps these were the qualities that his killers hated most.

The writer is a journalist based in Lahore