Maulana Samiul Haq laid to rest amid sobs and tears

RAWALPINDI - Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) chief, Maulana Samiul Haq was laid to rest after his funeral prayers were offered in Khauskhal Khan college's ground in Akora Khattak on Saturday.

The body of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) chief Maulana Samiul Haq, who was assassinated Friday evening in his home in Rawalpindi, was moved to his hometown where he was be buried at his seminary, Darul Uloom Haqqania.

Renowned political figures including PML-N's Zafarul Haq, Amir Muqam, Hafiz Saeed, Liaquat Baloch, Chief Minister and Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attended the prayer led by Samiul Haq's son, Hamidul Haq.

Maulana Samiul Haq was stabbed to death at his Rawalpindi residence at a time when he was alone; his son said that Sami was resting in his room when he was attacked with a knife.

"My father could not join the protest in Islamabad due to road blockage. He returned to his house and was resting in his room," he said.

"His drive went out for half an hour and when he returned, he found Maulana lying in a pool of blood," he added.

Earlier, some reports suggested that gunmen on motorbikes opened fire on Samiul Haq's vehicle and sped away.

The JUI-S chief was being shifted to DHQ Hospital before he succumbed to his wounds.

Maulana Samiul Haq was a religious scholar and former Senator. He was the member of the Senate of Pakistan from 1985 to 1991 and again from 1991 to 1997.

He was regarded as "Father of the Taliban" and had close ties to Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

Samiul Haq was currently the chancellor of Darul Uloom Haqqania, a Deobandi Islamic seminary which is the alma mater of many prominent Taliban members. Haq served as chairman of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council and is the leader of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam political party, known as JUI-S.

His party has been an ally of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The PTI also gave him a ticket for the 2018 Senate election, but he could not be elected to the upper house.

The JUI-S chief headed a committee formed for peace talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2014.

Samiul Haq was also a founding member of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal.

He also served as a member of the Senate. He formed Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (United Religious Front), an alliance of relatively small religio-political parties, to participate in Pakistani general election, 2013.

President Alvi, PM Khan, CM Punjab & Interior Minister condemn the assassination

President Dr Arif Alvi has expressed sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of Maulana Samiul Haq.

Condemning this tragic incident, he expressed sympathy with the bereaved family.

The President paid tributes to Maulana Samiul Haq's religious, social and political services.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has strongly condemned the martyrdom of Maulana Samiul Haq.

In a statement from Beijing, where he is currently on the visit to China, the prime minister directed to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The prime minister said Maulana Samiul Haq was a great scholar of Islam.

Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has condemned the assassination of Maulana Samiul Haq and sought the report from the Inspector General of Punjab (IGP) police.

Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi has also condemned the assassination.

In a statement, he said Maulana Samiul Haq's political and religious services will be remembered.

Naeem ul Haq, the special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan, strongly condemned the killing of Maulana Samiul Haq.

"The martyrdom of Maulana is a big tragedy," he said, adding that 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 Samiul Haq was one of the few clerics who had openly supported the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government in running polio eradication campaign.