The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) announced on Saturday that it has filed a terrorism case and is offering a reward for information about the unidentified suicide bomber responsible for a deadly attack at a seminary in Nowshera district.
The attack, which took place at Darul Uloom Haqqania on Friday, resulted in the death of Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani, the leader of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Sami (JUI-S), along with five others. Eighteen people were also injured when the suicide bomber detonated explosives after the Friday prayers.
The first information report (FIR) was filed at the CTD’s Mardan police station at 4:45 PM on Friday, based on the complaint of Maulana Abdulhaq Sani, Haqqani’s son, who was also injured in the blast. The report cites sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 and the Pakistan Penal Code, including charges of terrorism, intentional murder, attempted murder, and mischief causing damage.
The FIR stated that Haqqani and his son were leaving the seminary after prayers when the suicide bomber approached them near the “small gate” and detonated himself, killing six and injuring several others, including Sani. The attack also targeted seminary students and teachers present at the time.
The KP CTD has now released a photograph of the suspected bomber and offered a reward of Rs. 500,000 for any information leading to his identification. Authorities assured that the identity of the informant would remain confidential. The public is encouraged to contact the police at 0315-9135456 or 091-9212591.
In related news, the funeral for Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani was held at the same seminary on Saturday, attended by hundreds of people. During the funeral, emotions ran high as participants remembered Haqqani, who had taken over the leadership of JUI-S after his father’s assassination in 2018.
Witnesses reported that the suicide bomber had dressed as a religious scholar and approached Haqqani at the gate of the seminary just as he was leaving. A former member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and a prominent religious leader, Haqqani was targeted by the bomber as he was heading home from the mosque.
The seminary, known as Darul Uloom Haqqania, has long been associated with the Afghan Taliban, with several key Taliban figures among its alumni. Founded in 1947 and located in Nowshera, the seminary has been called the “Jihad University” due to its influence in regional geopolitics, particularly in relation to Afghanistan.
