Maulana Iqbal was not a terrorist but a respected religious figure: J-K Police

Maulana Iqbal was not a terrorist but a respected religious figure who lost his life along with 12 others in heavy Pakistani shelling in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, police said on Thursday.

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The Jammu and Kashmir Police came out with a clarification on the 45-year-old Iqbal after certain media outlets and social media platforms circulated “baseless and misleading” reports, claiming that he was a top terrorist and was killed in a missile strike by Indian armed forces across the border.

“Any media outlet, journalist, or individual found indulging in the circulation of such fake news shall be liable for legal action as warranted under relevant provisions of law,” police said in a statement.

Iqbal, a resident of Baila village in Mandi tehsil, was killed when a mortar shell hit his Madrasa Zia-ul-Uloom in Poonch city on Wednesday. A gurdwara and a temple were also hit by the indiscriminate Pakistani shelling in the district, claiming 13 lives, including that of a soldier, four children and two women.

“Poonch Police strongly refutes such false narrative. The deceased (Iqbal) was a respected religious figure in the local community and had no affiliation with any terror outfit. Misreporting of such sensitive incidents not only causes unnecessary panic but also disrespects the dignity of the deceased and the sentiments of the bereaved family,” the statement said.

It advised all media personnel and platforms to verify facts from official sources before publishing any information pertaining to security and public order.