Religious scholar Mufti Munir Shakir killed in Peshawar bomb blast

PESHAWAR: Prominent religious scholar and founder of the banned group Lashkar-i-Islam, Mufti Munir Shakir, was killed on Saturday in a bomb blast on the outskirts of Peshawar, police said.

According to police, the incident occurred in the Ormur area before Iftari, when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated, injuring four people, including Mufti Munir Shakir. He was on his way after offering Asar prayers at a mosque.

The injured were rushed to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), where Mufti Munir succumbed to his injuries.

The CCPO Peshawar confirmed that Mufti Shakir was the target of the attack.

A search operation is currently underway in the area, with police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) teams investigating the incident. Mufti Shakir was active on social media and had gained a significant following for his sermons.

Last month, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Samiul Haq (JUI-S) chief Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq was among three martyred after a powerful suicide blast ripped through Akora Khattak’s Darul Uloom Haqqania, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the chief secretary and IG confirmed on Friday.

Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq took over JUI-S after his father, Maulana Samiul Haq, was assassinated in 2018. Sami-ul-Haq was stabbed multiple times at his residence in Rawalpindi.

According to details, the explosion took place inside the seminary after Friday prayers, according to the city police officer.

The attack targeted Maulana Hamidul Haq at Darul Uloom Haqqania, KP Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed said.

He confirmed the death of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami’s head, Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq, to reporters. The KP IGP added that it was a suicide blast.