PESHAWAR: Senior Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Sultan Muhammad Wazir was martyred after sustaining critical injuries in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in South Waziristan on Saturday, police said.
According to police, the attack occurred in the Wana Bazaar area, where a remotely controlled, locally manufactured IED was detonated near a religious seminary. The blast targeted Maulana Sultan Muhammad Wazir, who was also the district president of Wafaqul Madaris al Arabia. His young daughter was also injured in the explosion.
Maulana Wazir was critically wounded and shifted to Dera Ismail Khan for medical treatment but succumbed to his injuries while being transported.
Lower South Waziristan District Police Officer Muhammad Tahir Shah Wazir confirmed the incident and said investigations were underway. He said law enforcement agencies were examining all possible aspects of the attack and analysing evidence collected from the scene to identify the perpetrators.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed deep grief and sorrow over the killing. In a statement, he described Maulana Sultan Muhammad Wazir as a sincere and courageous party leader.
He said the attack was not only aimed at an individual but was an assault on moderate, peaceful and democratic thought, which JUI-F has upheld through decades of political struggle.