**Religious Scholar Mufti Munir Shakir Killed in Peshawar Bomb Blast**
A prominent religious scholar and founder of the banned group Lashkar-i-Islam, Mufti Munir Shakir, was killed in a bomb blast on the outskirts of Peshawar on Saturday.
The incident took place in the Ormur area before Iftari, when an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated. Mufti Munir Shakir was on his way after offering Asar prayers at a mosque when the blast occurred, injuring him and four others.
The injured were taken to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), where Mufti Shakir succumbed to his injuries. The CCPO Peshawar confirmed that Mufti Shakir was the target of the attack.
Police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) teams are investigating the incident, and a search operation is underway in the area. Mufti Shakir was active on social media and was well-known for his sermons.
Last month, a similar attack took place in Akora Khattak’s Darul Uloom Haqqania, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Samiul Haq (JUI-S) chief Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq was among three killed in that suicide blast. Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq had taken over JUI-S after his father, Maulana Samiul Haq, was assassinated in 2018.
The explosion at Darul Uloom Haqqania took place inside the seminary after Friday prayers. KP Inspector General of Police Zulfiqar Hameed confirmed that the attack was a suicide blast and targeted Maulana Hamidul Haq.