Maulana Samiul Haq, a prominent religious scholar and chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S), was assassinated at his residence here on Friday evening. Maulana Hamidul Haq, the son of the deceased, said that his father Samiul Haq, 82, was stabbed to death by unknown attackers when he was taking rest at his house. "My father was taking rest in his room after Asr prayers when attackers barged into the house and assassinated him," he said.
He said that his father was alone in the house as his driver and guard were away from the house for 15 minutes. On their return, the driver and guard saw Maulana Sami was lying on bed in a pool of blood, he said.
Soon after the incident, Maulana Sami's body was shifted to nearby Safri Hospital where doctor pronounced him dead. The body was shifted to District Headquarter Hospital (DHQ) for post-mortem. However, his family members did not allow the post-mortem and decided to shift the body to his native town Akora Khatak. The funeral prayers will be offered at Madrassa Haqqania, Akora Khatak, at 2:00pm on Saturday, the family announced.
Police reached the scene and cordoned off the area. Police said that Maulana Sami was stabbed to death multiple times and gunshots were also found on his body. Sources said that police started an investigation into the assassination of Maulana Sami.
The sources further said that the authorities concerned had already informed the Maulana about the threats to his life and he was advised to limit his movement.
Reportedly, a high-level delegation from Afghanistan had called on Maulana Samiul Haq last month at his Darul Uloom Haqqania and sought him to play a role in Afghan peace process. Maulana Samiul Haq was also known as "father of the Taliban" for his role in Afghan Taliban movement.
Maulana Sami was the head of the Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Akora Khattak.
He entered into an alliance with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for the July 25, 2018 election.
State Minister for Interior Shehryar Afridi condemned the assassination. In a statement, he said Maulana Sami-ul-Haq's political and religious services will be remembered.
Meanwhile, the civil and military leadership strongly condemned the brutal murder of Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, the chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, who was assassinated at his residence in Rawalpindi.
Prime Minister Imran Khan in a statement from Beijing, where he is currently on an official visit, strongly condemned the brutal murder of Haq and directed to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.
"Maulana Samiul Haq was a great scholar of Islam," he said and also expressed grief and sorrow over his tragic murder.
Condemning the tragic incident, President Dr Arif Alvi expressed sorrow and grief over the murder of Maulana Haq. He also expressed sympathies with the bereaved family.
Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa also strongly condemned the assassination of renowned religious scholar and political leader Haq, said the ISPR in a statement. The COAS also expressed grief and condolences with the bereaved family.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi also condemned the tragic murder of the JUI-S chief, saying that Maulana Sami-ul-Haq was a seasoned politician and great religious scholar.
Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani and Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser also condemned the killing and expressed condolences with the bereaved family. They said that the miscreants will not succeed in their nefarious designs.
Former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Nawaz Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the JUI-S chief's murder and also expressed sympathies and condolences with the bereaved family.
PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif also strongly condemned the murder, saying that Haq's murder is a despicable ploy to cause further disturbance in Pakistan. "The nation must remain united at this time," he said.
JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman condemned the assassination of Maulana Sami ul Haq. "I myself was a student of Darul Haqqani for eight years. I extend my condolences to his relatives," Fazl said.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan, Naeemul Haq has strongly condemned the killing of Maulana Samiul Haq. He said Maulana had met Prime Minister Imran Khan 15 days ago as part of government's efforts to introduce modern education in seminaries.
He recalled that Maulana Sami ul Haq was one of the few clerics who had openly supported the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government in running polio eradication campaign.
Former Interior Minister and PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal took to Twitter to condemn the killing. "Terrible news - Assassination of Maulana Sami ul Haq is very tragic - May Allah Bless his soul Ameen!," he wrote.
Another PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique tweeted, "Assassination of Maulana Sami Ul Haq was an attack on stability and integrity of Pakistan."
PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bokhari also condemned the killing of Maulana Haq, terming it highly tragic and demanded the government to arrest his killers as soon as possible.
PPP Senator Rehman Malik also strongly condemned the killing and expressed condolences with the bereaved family. Foreign Office spokesperson Dr Mohammad Faisal, while condemning the murder of Maulana Sami, said: "Pakistani nation remains unflinchingly united to fight any and all threats to the motherland. Pakistan remains steadfast in fighting terrorism and shall not be cowed by dastardly acts. Enemy shall be effectively countered and defeated."
NNI adds: Maulana Sami-ul-Haq comes from the spiritual family of Akora Khattak where he was born in 1936.
A holder of Sanad-e-Fazilat-o-Faraghat and Sanad Daura Fafseer-e-Quran from Darul Aloom Haqqania, Akora Khattak and Sheik-ul-Hadith (Honorary) of Deo Band, Maulana Sahib imparted religious education at his alma mater.
As a member of Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam, he conducted, with success, the election campaign for his father Maulana Abdul Haq in 1970, 1977 and 1985 and assisted him in carrying out his obligations as a Member of the National Assembly.
He was an active protagonist of Tahreek-i-Khatam-e-Nabowat in 1974 and Tahreek-i-Nizam-i-Mustafa in 1977.
He was a member of the Majlis-i-Shoora in 1983-85 and was a member of the Presidential Committee on religious matters.
He was elected to the Senate in 1985-1991 and was one of the principal movers of the historic Shariat Bill in the Senate. He was re-elected as Senator in 1991-1997 for another six-year term.
"Maulana Sami ul Haq has been assassinated. Small protests have erupted in Aabpara chowk. Everyone is advised to please stay at home for a while. We will take control of the situation in a while," Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad tweeted.
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