KANDAHAR CITY (SW): Abdul Ghafoor Pairoz, a young and promising writer and strong critic of fundamentalism, has been shot dead by unknown gunmen in Kandahar city.
Pairoz was widely known for his well-versed and hard-hitting criticism of the fundamentalists and terrorists. Samim Khpalwak, spokesman for the provincial governor in Kandahar, has said Pairoz was an acclaimed literary figure who had wide knowledge of the religion and contemporary sciences. He has pronounced Pairoz’s death a tragic loss for the whole nation. “He was killed by unknown armed men close to his residence in the ninth district of Kandahar city”, he said.
Local civil society leaders have expressed profound grief over the murder of young Pairoz. Nisar Ahmad Saleh, a friend of the deceased, said that the enemies of the nation killed Pairoz because he was addressing the very core issue that has been causing all the troubles in the country. He said Pairoz had written more than fifty books and hundreds of op-eds, and all of these have message of peace and love for humanity. “He used to highlight the reasons behind growing extremism and fundamentalism, and make bold remarks that many religious scholar do not dare to do”, he said.
A day before his assassination, Pairoz told a moot in Kandahar that there should be no compromise on saying truth, even if costs life.
ENDS
