‘FATHER OF THE TALIBAN’ KILLED IN KNIFE ATTACK

Prominent Pakistani cleric Maulana Samiul Haq, also known as the “father of the Taliban,” was killed in a knife attack at his home in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Friday, his family and police said.

Haq’s son, Hamidul Haq, said his father was alone in his bedroom when he was attacked by an assailant, who escaped undetected.

“My father has been martyred. He was alone at his home. His guard had gone out minutes before the attack and upon his return he saw my father in critical condition,” he told reporters.

Police say Haq, 81, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died. Yousaf Shah, Haq’s spokesman, told The Associated Press that neither the attacker nor their motive was yet known.

Soon after his death, scores of Haq’s supporters rioted, damaging shops and vehicles in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.