PESHAWAR, FEB 28: A suicide bomb attack during Friday prayers at a seminary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district claimed the lives of top cleric Hamidul Haq Haqqani and four worshippers, while injuring 20 others, police said.
The attack targeted Madrassa-e-Haqqania in Akora Khattak town, where Hamidul Haq, chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI-Sami Group) and son of the late Maulana Sami ul Haq, was leading prayers. Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah confirmed his death.
Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed stated that initial investigations suggest a suicide bombing, with Hamidul Haq as the likely target. He added that six security guards had been assigned to him. District Police Officer Abdur Rasheed confirmed the blast occurred during Jumma prayers.
Madrassa-e-Haqqania is a well-known Islamic seminary propagating the Hanafi Deobandi school of Sunni Islam. It was founded by Maulana Abdul Haq and has gained a reputation for producing several influential clerics, including former Taliban chief Akhtar Mansour.
Rescue teams swiftly arrived at the scene, transporting casualties to hospitals in Nowshera and Peshawar, where an emergency was declared. JUI leaders have urged people to donate blood for the injured.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur condemned the attack, calling it an inhuman act and vowing to bring the perpetrators to justice. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also denounced the bombing as an act of terrorism, affirming the nation’s commitment to fighting extremism.
Governor Faisal Karim Kundi, calling the attack a conspiracy against Islam and Pakistan, criticized the provincial government’s handling of security. Meanwhile, JUI spokesperson Aslam Ghauri expressed deep regret, blaming the authorities for failing to maintain peace, stating, “Even mosques and madrassas are no longer safe.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
