Political leaders condemn assassination of Maulana Samiul Haq

PESHAWAR: The leaders of various political parties on Saturday condemned the assassination of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami chief Maulana Samiul Haq and termed it an irreparable loss for the country.

Awami National Party (ANP) President Asfandyar Wali Khan said that political differences aside, the killing of a religious scholar amounted to terrorism.

Through a statement, he said that his party had always condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Asfandyar said that the killing of Maulana Samiul Haq would affect the law and order situation in the country.

He urged the workers of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami to exercise restrain at this critical juncture.

The ANP leader criticised the government for failing to protect religious scholars. He said that peace could be restored by following the philosophy of Bacha Khan.

Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Sherpao also condemned the assassination of Maulana Samiul Haq.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony Noorul Haq Qadri condemned the assassination of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami chief Maulana Samiul Haq and termed it an irreparable loss for the country.

While condoling Maulana Samiul Haq’s death with his son Hamidul Haq, Pervez Khattak said that personalities like Maulana Samiul Haq were born once in centuries.

“Maulana Samiul Haq was not only a renowned religious scholar but he was also great human being,” he said and added that his demise was a great loss for all Muslim countries.

He said his services for the country and Islam would always be remembered. “Maulana Samiul Haq had played a vital role for maintaining peace in the region,” he said.

Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri also condemned Maulana Samiul Haq’s killing and said that his death was an irreparable loss for all Muslims across the world.

Talking to reporters after condoling with Maulana Hamidul Haq, he said the Muslim world lost a great religious scholar and author. His role and struggle for maintaining peace in Afghanistan would be remembered forever, he added.

He said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government would probe the case and his killers would be brought to justice. “Maulana Samiul Haq was the name of a movement. His struggle for enforcing Shariah would be remembered,” he said.

The federal minister said that the deceased always stood by truth and justice.

Awami National Party (ANP) secretary general Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that Maulana Samiul Haq had been killed under a conspiracy.

In a statement, he asked the government to bring the killers of the Maulana to justice and urged the activists of JUI-S to exercise restraint.

He said that the ANP workers were following the Bacha Khan’s philosophy of non-violence. “We are against bloodshed and violence anywhere in the world,” he said.