Swat varsity’s VC shot dead

ISLAMABAD - Noted Islamic scholar and vice-chancellor of Swat University, Muhammad Farooq Khan, was assassinated Saturday in a northwestern city of Pakistan.

“Farooq had just stepped out of his clinic in Maqam Mandi area of Mardan in Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa province when unidentified assailants opened fire at him,” police said, adding that he died on the spot. Farooq’s driver was also killed in the firing.

Swat valley has witnessed a large-scale military operation against Taliban during the last year or so and the government had announced it would set-up a university there after restoration of peace. Farooq, a medical graduate, was appointed the first vice-chancellor of the varsity.

Farooq also had a degree in psychology and was a leading Islamic scholar who preached moderation in faith. He had written several books and was against the fundamentalists and the terrorist activities.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain termed the death of Farooq “a great loss for the province”. “It is another great sacrifice that we have given in the war against terror but it will not be able to dent our resolve to achieve success against all odds,” he vowed.

(Awais Saleem can be contacted at ians.pakistan@gmail.com)