Abdelrahman
Islamabad, Pakistan – A devastating suicide bombing targeted a mosque in northwestern Pakistan, resulting in the deaths of at least six individuals, including a notable religious scholar. The attack also left over 20 others injured, as reported by local authorities.
The incident took place at the Darul Uloom Haqqania seminary located in Akora Khattak, a town in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Officials indicated that the bombing occurred shortly after the conclusion of Friday prayers, seemingly aimed at Hamid-ul-Haq, the leader of the religious political party Jamiat Ulema Islam-Sami (JUIS), who tragically lost his life in the assault.
Provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed to reporters that the perpetrator was a suicide bomber, noting that at least three police officers sustained injuries during the attack.
In response to the tragedy, government officials condemned the act of violence and extended condolences to the families affected. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized, "Such cowardly and barbaric acts of terrorism will not weaken our determination in the fight against terrorism."
As of now, no group has taken responsibility for the incident; however, analysts speculate that the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) may be the culprit behind this brutal act. Security analyst Ihsanullah Tipu suggested that, considering the significance of the seminary and its background, ISKP is likely behind the attack due to its ideological rift with the Afghan Taliban, as both groups subscribe to different interpretations of Islam.
Founded in 1947, Darul Uloom Haqqania is a Deoband seminary, previously headed by Sami-ul-Haq, Hamid-ul-Haq’s father, who was often referred to as the “Father of the Taliban.” Sami-ul-Haq was murdered in a knife attack in Rawalpindi in 2018.
Hamid-ul-Haq, who was in his late 50s, had previously served as a member of the National Assembly and succeeded his father as the president of JUIS. He had also acted as the seminary’s vice chancellor and led a delegation of religious scholars to Afghanistan for "religious diplomacy" last year, where he met with senior Taliban figure Abdul Kabir. Following the Taliban’s resurgence in August 2021, he advocated for Pakistan’s recognition of their government.
The seminary hosts over 4,000 students and counts many prominent Taliban leaders among its alumni, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan’s interim interior minister, and Amir Khan Muttaqi, the interim foreign minister. The Taliban, which adheres to Sunni Islam and follows Deoband principles, finds itself at odds with ISKP, a group known for its strict adherence to the Salafist interpretation of Islamic law.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has seen a rise in attacks on mosques in recent years, with a January 2023 bombing in Peshawar claiming over 100 lives, predominantly police officers. While no group has officially claimed the Peshawar attack, ISKP has been linked to various assaults targeting civilians and law enforcement personnel across Pakistan.
In one of its significant strikes, a political rally organized by the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUIF), a rival faction of JUIS, was targeted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bajaur district in July 2023, resulting in nearly 60 fatalities.
In recent years, there has been a noticeable uptick in violence in Pakistan, majorly attributed to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which shares ideological similarities with the Afghan Taliban. Over 1,500 lives were lost in such attacks last year.
Tipu, co-founder of The Khorasan Diary, a security research platform, underscored the importance of the mosque attack and the implications of Hamid-ul-Haq’s death. He highlighted the historical connections between the seminary and the Afghan Taliban, noting that many of its students have fought against US forces in Afghanistan, while the Taliban administration currently combats ISKP threats in their territory.
According to Tipu, the conflict between the Afghan Taliban and ISKP extends beyond military confrontations to ideological battles, with the Taliban labeling ISKP as "Takfiris," or those deemed outside of Islam. He concluded that this attack, particularly on a Friday at a mosque, would likely be leveraged by the Taliban and their supporters to reinforce the narrative that ISKP is not aligned with Islamic principles.
