Police told Dawn News that Abdul Rauf, 22, an English teacher, was targeted near a graveyard in the Malikabad area on Saturday when he, accompanied by some people, was going to attend a jirga of ulema to explain his position on the matter.

Sources told the Pakistani newspaper that students of the language centre had lodged complaints with local clerics, accusing Mr Rauf of committing blasphemy during a lecture.

Sudhir Ahmed, the principal, told Dawn News a group of ulema visited the language centre on Friday and listened to the students and Rauf on the issue.

Rauf denied all allegations against him.

He, however, tendered an apology for any objectionable words on the issue.

The clerics said they would resolve the issue and asked Rauf to come to the jirga, to be held in a madressah, to explain his position.

“I invited Abdul Rauf to the jirga where over 100 ulema from Turbat were present to resolve the issue amicably, but he was killed by unknown masked men before reaching the madressah,” Mufti Shah Mir said.

He said police were informed about the issue after the murder.

The deceased teacher's family members did not lodge any police cases following the incident.

“A special police team has been constituted for a thorough investigation into the incident, considering all aspects,” District Police Officer Mohammad Baloch told Dawn on Sunday.