PM orders probe into cleric haq’s death
akora khattak — A key cleric with close ties to the Afghan Taleban who was killed in Rawalpindi was buried Saturday as Prime Minister Imran Khan called for an investigation into the murder.
Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, dubbed the “Father of the Taleban”, was stabbed to death by unknown intruders at his residence on Friday.
The cleric, who is in his 80s was buried in his hometown Akora Khattak, around 115 kilometres northwest of Islamabad.
Thousands of people gathered for the funeral prayers guarded by dozens of police personnel while a bomb disposal squad cleared the graveyard before the cleric’s body was brought for burial.
His seminary had produced some of the key Taleban leaders, something that the cleric and his associates would proudly tell visiting journalists.
An investigation into the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007 revealed that the assassins had stayed at his seminary before travelling to Rawalpindi where Bhutto was killed.
The Afghan Taleban issued a statement terming his death “a great loss for the entire Islamic Ummah” (nation). “He rendered unforgettable services and assistance to the oppressed Afghan nation against the Soviet and American invasions,” the statement said.
Afghan envoys in Pakistan had reached out to him seeking his help in starting negotiations with the Afghan Taleban.
But analysts doubted if he had any sway with them. “He did not had any influence on the Afghan Taleban but he supported their cause,” analyst Rahimullah Yusufzai said.