Lakki Marwat was gripped by tension on Thursday after the bodies of two men, including a local Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leader, were recovered, prompting protests and a blockade of the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway.
Police said the bullet-riddled bodies of Gul Zareen and Matiullah were found on the roadside in the Khanzada Khel area. Both men were residents of Pehar Khel Pakka in Lakki Marwat.
According to police, Gul Zareen was a former village nazim and an active member of JUI’s tehsil leadership.
The killings triggered a strong reaction from JUI workers, local leaders and the victims’ relatives. Protesters placed the bodies on the road and blocked the Indus Highway at Tajazai, bringing traffic to a standstill.
The highway closure caused long queues of vehicles on both sides of the road, leaving commuters stranded and disrupting travel between major cities.
Among those who joined the protest was Asjad Mahmood, son of JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. He met the bereaved families and expressed solidarity with them.
Relatives of the victims alleged that Gul Zareen and Matiullah had been taken into custody by a local peace committee before their deaths. During the protest, family members accused the committee of involvement in the killings and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
The protesters demanded an impartial investigation into the incident and warned that their demonstration would continue until authorities assured them of a transparent inquiry.
They also announced that funeral prayers for the two victims would be offered on the Peshawar-Karachi Indus Highway as part of the protest.
So far, neither the police nor the district administration has issued an official response to the allegations made by the victims’ families.
