Pakistan: Political leader Maulana Hamidul Haq, five others killed in Nowshera madarsa suicide blast; 15 others injured

ISLAMABAD: At least six people, including leader of political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Sami (JUI-S), Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani, were killed in a suicide blast on Friday at the Darul Uloom Haqqania madarsa in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Nowshera district of Pakistan.

The blast tore through the main prayer hall of the madarsa as worshipers had gathered for their Friday prayers, KP Police Inspector General Zulfiqar Hameed said as per Dawn.

“It was a suicide blast. Three policemen were also injured in the attack,” Police inspector Hameed said, according to Dawn.

According to Dawn, referencing KP Police statement, the blast occurred at 2 PM, with police and rescue teams immediately dispatched to the site of the incident.

In a statement issued by the office of the hospital director, six people were killed in the attack, while at least 15 were injured. However, Dawn also reported that Rescue 1122 stated that after 5 PM the number of people injured had jumped up to 20.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Inspector General has said that JUI-S leader Haqqani, who also is the seminary’s head, was the target of the suicide blast.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Dawn.

Dawn also mentioned Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari condemning the blast, “a heinous act of targeting worshippers in a suicide attack”, according to a statement from the President’s House.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the incident and prayed for the recovery of Maulana Haq and others who were injured, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

He directed officials that the best medical facilities be administered to the injured and sought a report of the incident, according to Dawn.

The rescue officers had transported the injured to nearby hospitals and the KP government has declared an emergency in all hospitals and health facilities across Peshawar, about 70 km away from Nowshera.

“The presence of medical staff and necessary medicines be ensured,” read a statement from the KP commissioner’s office.

Haqqani, the son of assassinated cleric Maulana Samiul Haq, served as vice chancellor of the Darul Uloom Haqqania and chairman of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) political party. He previously served as a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly from 2002 to 2007. (ANI)