PESHAWAR - The funeral prayer of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) chief Maulana Samiul Haq was held in his ancestral village Akora Khattak on Saturday, which was attended by thousands of people including religious and political leaders of different parties.

Among others, the funeral prayer was also attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, ANP Acting President Haji Ghulam Bilour, ANP Central General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain, PML-N central leader Raja Zafarul Haq, former governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Jamaat-e-Islami central chief Senator Sirajul Haq, Liaqat Baloch and PML-N provincial president Ameer Muqam. The funeral prayer was held in Khushhal Khan Khattak Government Degree College Nowshera.

Tight security arrangements were made on the occasion and a heavy contingent of police was deployed at the surroundings to thwart any sabotage bid. Students and teachers from Darul Uloom Haqqania also cooperated with police in security and maintaining discipline in the venue as a great number of people from various parts of the country poured in to participate in the funeral of the renowned religious leader.

Maulana Samiul Haq was staying at his residence in Rawalpindi when he was stabbed to death by unknown attackers in the absence of his security guard. His son Maulana Hamidul Haq said that he was repeatedly stabbed in chest and neck, which resulted in his martyrdom. He appealed to the students to remain calm and peaceful.

He was laid to rest in Darul Uloom Haqqania next to his father Maulana Abdul Haq, the founding chief of Jamia Haqqania Akora Khattak.

Sami was an active religious leader, who served the seminary, besides leading his own faction of JUI-S since the death of his father. He was twice elected member of the Senate from 1985 till 1991 and next from 1991-1997. He was also member of the Majlis-e-Shoora from 1983-1985.

He was an active member of Tehreek-e-Hatm-e-Nubawwat and Tehreek-e-Nizam-e-Mustafa in 1974 and 1977. Besides this, he was also chairman of presidential committee of religious affairs in 1985 and was leading mover of the Sharia Bill in the Senate.

In 2014, he was also nominated as chairman of the committee to hold talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan but the talks were unsuccessful and subsequently the PML-N government launched military operation in North Waziristan Agency.

His assassination was widely condemned by people from all walks of life who termed it a brutal attack by terrorists. Political leaders expressed deep concern over his sudden death and expressed sympathies with the bereaved family.

Rawalpindi police have registered an FIR against unknown persons and have launched investigation. Police have also included a gunman and security guard in the process of investigation while fingerprints and CCTV footages have also been taken from the scene to identify the terrorists.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has announced one-day mourning over the martyrdom of Maulana Samiul Haq and said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been deprived of one of renowned religious scholar of the country.