Maulana Samiul Haq laid to rest

NOWSHERA: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) chief Maulana Samiul Haq, who was assassinated at his Rawalpindi residence on Friday, was laid to rest at Darul Uloom Haqqania, Akora Khattak, on Saturday.

A large number of people attended his funeral prayers, led by his son Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani.

The funeral was held at the Government Khushal Khan Degree College, Akora Khattak about half a kilometer from the seminary on the GT Road.

Among the mourners were his students, who came from all over Pakistan and even Afghanistan to pay him homage.

His colleagues from Difa-i-Pakistan Council and associates from different seminaries made it a point to attend his funeral.

Foolproof security arrangements were made to avert any untoward incident on the occasion.

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Mardan Range Mohammad Ali Gandapur oversaw the security arrangements.

About 948 policemen and 140 traffic wardens were deployed to maintain security and facilitate the flow of traffic.

Bomb Disposal Unit cleared the route that was used to take the body to the graveyard inside Darul Uloom Haqqania for burial.

However, such was the rush of people that the arrangements made for the funeral prayers were overwhelmed.

Many mourners barged into the special enclosure reserved for dignitaries in view of security concerns.

After the funeral prayers, people rushed for their destinations causing gridlocks.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, Chief Minister Mehmood Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) provincial head Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Liaquat Baloch, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, Maulana Tayyab of Panjpir, Awami National Party leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, members of the provincial and national assemblies, senators, and delegates from Qatar and Saudi Arabia offered the funeral prayers.

A delegation of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, comprising Raja Zafarul Haq, Javed Hashmi, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Amir Muqam and others, attended the funeral prayers.

The PML-N delegation conveyed condolence message to the bereaved family on behalf of former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif.

A delegation of Afghan Taliban also attended the funeral. However, their identity wasn’t known. The deceased had close ties with the Afghan Taliban.

Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa telephoned the family of Maulana Samiul Haq and offered condolences on his death.

Maulana Samiul Haq was born on September 18, 1937 in Akora Khattak, Nowshera.

He received his early education at Anjuman-e-Taleem-ul-Quran Islamia Primary School established by his father Maulana Abdul Haq, who was a noted religious scholar and politician.

After completing his education, Maulana Samiul Haq started teaching in 1958 at the Jamia Darul Uloom Haqqani, which was founded by his father in September 1947 on the pattern of Darul Uloom Deoband. He later launched a monthly magazine Al-Haq in 1965.

He had authored several books, including Islam Aur Asre Hazir, Qaumi Assembly May Islam Ka Marka, Khutbat-e-Haq, Senate May Shariat Bill Ka Ma’arka, Salibi Dahshat Gardi and Islam Ka Ma’arka.

The Maulana actively took part in the Tehreek Nifaz-e-Mustafa in 1977 and was put behind bars at the Central Prison in Haripur. He had also served as member of Majlis-e-Shura during the Zia regime.

Maulana Samiul Haq, the custodian of Darul Uloom Haqqania, was elected senator on the ticket of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) in 2003. He was also elected to the Senate from 1985 to 1997.

After the US invasion of Afghanistan, the Maulana cobbled together the Afghan Defence Council that was meant to shore up support for the Afghan Taliban in Pakistan.

He had formed and led the Muttahida Deeni Mahaz on December 10, 1992 to unite the religio-political parties after the demolition of Babari Masjid at the hands of Hindu fanatics in India.

He and his party remained part of the Islamic alliances which were formed to take part in general elections and promote religious causes.

The Maulana, 82, was assassinated at his residence in Rawalpindi on Friday.

Unidentified assailants stabbed him multiple times in his bedroom and escaped unnoticed.

Meanwhile, it has been learnt that investigation into Maulana Samiul Haq’s assassination has entered an important phase.