PESHAWAR: top cleric and six worshippers were killed, while 18 others sustained injuries, in a suicide bombing during Friday prayers at a seminary in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, police confirmed. The attack occurred just ahead of the fasting month of Ramazan.
The blast claimed the life of Hamidul Haq Haqqani, chief of his faction of the Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) and caretaker of Madrassa-e-Haqqania in Akora Khattak, Nowshera district, Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah confirmed.
Born in 1968, Hamidul Haq became the leader of the JUI (Sami Group) following the death of his father, Maulana Sami ul Haq.
Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed stated that the explosion appeared to be a suicide bombing, with Hamidul Haq as the apparent target.
“We had provided six security guards to Hamidul Haq,” he said.
So far, no organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The explosion occurred as Hamidul Haq was heading home with his companions. The suicide bomber struck near the gate of the mosque, the entrance through which he would have accessed his residence.
The attack was part of a series of violent incidents across Pakistan on the same day.
In Balochistan province, an improvised explosive device (IED) blast injured 10 people, including a security official. Separately, in North Waziristan district, a mortar shell struck a house, injuring five family members, including four children.
Nowshera District Police Officer Abdur Rasheed confirmed that the explosion occurred during Jumma prayers.
Following the attack, rescue teams rushed to the scene, evacuating the wounded and recovering the deceased. Authorities declared an emergency in hospitals in Nowshera and Peshawar.
Deputy Commissioner of Nowshera, Irfanullah Mehsud, stated that Hamidul Haq was transported to a hospital in critical condition, along with four other injured individuals, including his son, Abdul Haq Thani.
Hamidul Haq later succumbed to his injuries, while his son was discharged after receiving treatment.
Among those killed, the identities of two individuals remain unknown, with their DNA samples sent for forensic analysis.
The JUI leadership has urged people to donate blood for the injured.
Authorities have commenced geo-fencing of the area and collected all available evidence. The Counter-Terrorism Department has registered a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Despite no prior threats, IGP Hameed confirmed that a special investigation team had been formed.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur condemned the attack, demanding a comprehensive report from authorities.
“This inhuman act of killing innocent people in a place of worship is beyond condemnation,” he stated. “No amount of words can justify such brutality, and all resources must be used to bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz prayed for the recovery of the wounded worshippers.
“This attack during Friday prayers is an act of open terrorism,” she said. “Pakistan will win the war against terrorism, and the entire nation stands united.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi contacted high-ranking officials regarding the blast and demanded a detailed report.
He described the attack as a conspiracy by hostile forces against Islam and Pakistan.
“The province will suffer for an unknown time due to the incompetence and communalism of the provincial government,” Kundi stated.
JUI spokesperson Aslam Ghauri condemned the attack, expressing deep regret over the incident.
“Even mosques and madrassas are no longer safe,” he said, blaming the government for its failure to ensure peace and order.
He criticised the authorities, saying, “They prioritise cricket over national security.”
Ghauri offered prayers for the deceased and wished a swift recovery for the injured.
Hamidul Haq’s funeral prayer will be held on Saturday at 11 AM in Akora Khattak.