Influential religious scholar and former senator Maulana Samiul Haq has been assassinated at his residence in Rawalpindi, his son has confirmed. 
 
 Maulana Hamidul Haq said his octogenarian father was stabbed to death while he was resting in his room. 
 
 "His driver Haqqani had gone out. On his return, he saw that Maulana Sami was lying in his bed in a pool of blood," Hamid said while talking to Geo News. 
 
 The news of his death comes at a sensitive time, with religio-political parties out on the streets protesting the Supreme Court's acquittal of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman, in a blasphemy case. 
 
 Maulana Sami, the chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, was unable to take part in the protest that was underway against Bibi's acquittal due to road blockades and had returned home, his son said. 
 
 "He was stabbed multiple times," Maulana Hamid said. Maulana Sami's driver/gunman had left the house, located in Bahria Town, for approximately 15 minutes when he was stabbed. 
 
 Yousaf Shah, the maulana's spokesman, said the attacker's identity and their motive were not immediately known. 
 
 Police have started an investigation into the killing. 
 
 The deceased's body was taken to his hometown Akora Khattak where he will be laid to rest tomorrow afternoon. No post-mortem was conducted, DawnNewsTV reported. 
 
 Maulana Sami, said to be around 82 years old, was the head of the Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Akora Khattak. 
 
 He was a member of the Senate of Pakistan from 1985 to 1991 and again from 1991 to 1997. 
 
 He had been aligned with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for the July 25, 2018 election. 
 
 Prime Minister Imran Khan's party had sought to work closely with him to implement various reforms and mainstream madrassah education. 
 
 Maulana Sami was an influential figure among members of the Taliban on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border. 
 
 Last month, a high-level delegation from Afghanistan had called on Sami, known as the "Father of the Taliban", at Darul Uloom Haqqania and urged him to play a role in resolving the Afghan issue. 
 
 The delegation had appealed to the JUI-S chief to play the role of a mediator between different groups of Taliban as they considered him [Maulana Sami] their elder. The delegation members assured him that they would accept his decision for reconciliation in Afghanistan. 
 
 Maulana Sami had told them that the Afghan issue was very complicated and its resolution was not an easy task for him. However, he had said he wished to see a logical end to the Afghan issue and an end to bloodshed in the country. 
 
 Profile: Maulana Sami 
 
 The Senate website describes him as: "A qualified religious scholar, an educationist, a research scholar and a lieutenant of his father, late Maulana Abdul Haq." 
 
 According to his Senate profile, Maulana Sami came from the spiritual family of Akora Khattak, where he was born in 1936. 
 
 A holder of Sanad-e-Fazilat-o-Faraghat and Sanad Daura Tafseer-e-Quran from Darul Uloom Haqqania, and Shaikh-ul-Hadith (honorary) from Darul Uloom Deoband, Maulana Sami imparted religious education at his alma mater to the students and held important positions in the academic and administrative staff of the seminary. 

 RAWALPINDI: Jamiat Ulema Islam-Sami (JUI-S) chief Maulana Samiul Haq was assassinated at his residence in Rawalpindi on Friday, his family and party officials confirmed, saying that the senior religious scholar and former senator was "stabbed multiple times". 
 
 
 
 "He was trying to reach the protest in Islamabad but came back home due to roads being blocked. He was resting in his room after Asr [prayers] when his driver-cum-guard went out for 15 minutes," Haq's son Maulana Hamidul Haq said. 
 
 
 
 "When he returned, he found Maulana Samiul Haq dead in his bed and his body covered in blood." 
 
 Hamid added that his father had been "stabbed multiple times." 
 
 JUI-S leader Maulana Abdul Majeed said there was no one present at the residence when Haq was killed. "We do not know who attacked him. He was alone, the person who was supposed to be with him had gone to the market," Majeed said. 
 
 
 
 The body of the slain JUI-S chief has been transported to his native town Akora Khattak through an ambulance. 
 
 His funeral prayers will be held at Garrison Ground in Akora Khattak at 3pm on Saturday, Haq's nephew Maulana Luqmanul Haq told Geo News. 
 
 In this file photograph from August 23, 2017, Maulana Samiul Haq speaks during a news conference in Islamabad – AFP 
 
 Pakistan 'deprived of important religious leader' 
 
 Prime Minister Imran Khan has condemned the assassination of Maulana Samiul Haq, stating that the country had been deprived of an important religious leader. He said that Haq's services would always be remembered. 
 
 The prime minister sought a report and directed that an investigation be carried out immediately to find the perpetrators. 
 
 Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar also denounced the assassination and sought a report from the Inspector General Punjab Police. 
 
 
 
 Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the martyrdom of the JUI-S chief and expressed immense grief over it. 
 
 "It was really sad to hear the news of the martyrdom of Maulana Samiul Haq," Nawaz said, praying the Almighty to have mercy on Pakistan. 
 
 The former premier also prayed for heightening of the stages of the departed soul in the hereafter and grant patience to the bereaved family. 
 
 Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa condemned Haq's assassination and expressed grief over it, DG ISPR Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said on Twitter. 
 
 The army chief also extended his condolences to the bereaved family. 
 
 
 
 Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman said that he graduated from Darul Uloom Haqqania and had a strong relationship with Maulana Samiul Haq. 
 
 
 
 "I have had a strong relationship with Maulana Samiul Haq, based on mutual respect," Fazl said, voicing solidarity with the family of the slain cleric and his party. 
 
 PM's aide on political affairs, Naeemul Haq, said Haq's martyrdom was a huge tragedy. 
 
 
 
 He said the government funded Haq's seminary for institutionalising modern curriculum, while the slain cleric had also backed the government for the anti-polio drive. 
 
 Who was Maulana Samiul Haq? 
 
 Born in 1936, Haq was one of the senior-most religio-political figures in Pakistan and came from the spiritual family of Akora Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He was the son of late Maulana Abdul Haq, a respected religious scholar and founder of the Darul Uloom Haqqania, one of the largest and most influential madrassas (seminaries) in the country. Maulana Samiul Haq later served the head of the Darul Uloom Haqqania after his father's death. 
 
 He was twice elected as member of the Senate of Pakistan—from 1985 to 1991 and again from 1991 to 1997. 
 
 According to the Senate website, Haq was an active protagonist of the Tahreek-i-Khatam-e-Nabowat in 1974 and Tahreek-i-Nizam-i-Mustafa in 1977. 
 
 "He was a member of the Majlis-i-Shoora in 1983-85 and was a member of the Presidential Committee on religious matters. He was elected to the Senate in 1985 and was one of the principal movers of the historic Shariat Bill in the Senate. He [was] re-elected as Senator in 1991 for another six-year term," reads the Senate website. 
 
 In 2014, the JUI-S chief headed a committee formed for peace talks with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). 
 
 The talks, despite repeated rounds, failed to yield results and the then Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led government subsequently launched a crackdown on militants following terrorist attacks on Karachi's Jinnah International Airport and then the Army Public School in Peshawar later that year. 
 
 His party has been an ally of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The PTI also gave him ticket for the 2018 Senate election, but he could not be elected to the upper house. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 This is a developing story and will be updated as further reports are received. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 RAWALPINDI – Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) chief Maulana Samiul Haq has been stabbed to death in Rawalpindi on Friday evening, his son confirmed the report. 
 
 Maulana Hami ul Haq, son of Maulana Samiul Haq, said that his father was resting in his room when he was attacked with a knife. 
 
 “My father could not join the protest in Islamabad due to road blockage. He returned to his house and was resting in his room,” he said. 
 
 “His drive went out for half an hour and when he returned, he found Maulana lying in a pool of blood,” he said. 
 
 Earlier, some reports suggested that gunmen on motorbikes opened fire on Samiul Haq’s vehicle and sped away. 
 
 The JUI-S chief was being shifted to DHQ Hospital before he succumbed to his wounds. 
 
 Media reports said that a security guard of the deceased cleric was critically wounded. 
 
 Maulana Samiul Haq was a religious scholar and former Senator. He was the member of the Senate of Pakistan from 1985 to 1991 and again from 1991 to 1997. 
 
 He was regarded as “Father of the Taliban” and had close ties to Taliban leader Mullah Omar. 
 
 Samiul Haq was currently the chancellor of Darul Uloom Haqqania, a Deobandi Islamic seminary which is the alma mater of many prominent Taliban members. Haq served as chairman of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council and is the leader of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam political party, known as JUI-S. 
 
 His party has been an ally of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The PTI also gave him a ticket for the 2018 Senate election, but he could not be elected to the upper house. 
 
 The JUI-S chief headed a committee formed for peace talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2014. 
 
 Samiul Haq was also a founding member of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal. 
 
 He also served as a member of the Senate. He formed Muttahida Deeni Mahaz (United Religious Front), an alliance of relatively small religio-political parties, to participate in Pakistani general election, 2013. 
 
 President Alvi, PM Khan, CM Punjab & Interior Minister condemn the assassination 
 
 President Dr Arif Alvi has expressed sorrow and grief over the martyrdom of Maulana Samiul Haq. 
 
 Condemning this tragic incident, he expressed sympathy with the bereaved family. 
 
 The President paid tributes to Maulana Samiul Haq’s religious, social and political services. 
 
 Prime Minister Imran Khan has strongly condemned the martyrdom of Maulana Samiul Haq. 
 
 In a statement from Beijing, where he is currently on the visit to China, the prime minister directed to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. 
 
 The prime minister said Maulana Samiul Haq was a great scholar of Islam. 
 
 Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has condemned the assassination of Maulana Samiul Haq and sought the report from the Inspector General of Punjab (IGP) police. 
 
 Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi has also condemned the assassination. 
 
 In a statement, he said Maulana Samiul Haq’s political and religious services will be remembered. 
 
 Naeem ul Haq, the special assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan, strongly condemned the killing of Maulana Samiul Haq. 
 
 “The martyrdom of Maulana is a big tragedy,” he said, adding that Maulana had met Prime Minister Imran Khan 15 days ago as part of government’s efforts to introduce modern education in seminaries. 
 
 He recalled that Maulana Samiul Haq was one of the few clerics who had openly supported the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government in running polio eradication campaign.
– An influential cleric in Pakistan known as the "Father of the Taliban" has been assassinated inside his own home, reports Geo News. The son of Maulana Sami ul-Haq says his father, believed to be in his early 80s, was stabbed to death while at home Friday. Other reports suggested he may have been shot, too. The cleric's bodyguard had left him alone for about 15 minutes, and "when he returned, he found Maulana Sami ul-Haq dead in his bed and his body covered in blood," the son tells Geo. No group immediately claimed responsibility. Dawn notes that the assassination comes at a volatile time in Pakistan, following the acquittal of a Christian woman on blasphemy charges. In fact, the cleric had attempt to join protests against the acquittal Friday, but he returned home because of blocked roads, says his son. It wasn't clear if the protests were connected to his slaying. Haq had twice served as a senator in Pakistan and had close ties to Taliban leader Mullah Omar, reports the Daily Pakistan. He apparently earned his nickname "Father of the Taliban" by serving as leader of a seminary through which many prominent members of the group emerged. Last month, he had been asked by a delegation from Afghanistan to use his Taliban contacts to help broker an end to the Afghan conflict, per Dawn. (That conflict continues to take the lives of US soldiers.)