LRH officials say Mufti Shakir died after being brought to hospital in critical condition
PESHAWAR
Mufti Munir Shakir, the founder of the banned militant group Lashkar-i-Islam, succumbed to injuries sustained in a blast in Peshawar on Saturday, officials confirmed.
According to a police statement, the explosion occurred in the jurisdiction of Urmur Police Station, injuring Mufti Shakir on his left foot. Three others have been identified as Khushal, Abid, and Syed Nabi also wounded in the incident.
A statement issued here stated that the personnel from the police, Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU), and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) reached the scene to collect evidence.
Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) spokesperson Mohammad Asim said in a video statement that Mufti Shakir was brought to the hospital in critical condition but did not survive. The hospital was in the process of handing over his body to his heirs, he said.
Originally from Kurram Agency, Mufti Munir Shakir moved to Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency in 2004 after being expelled from his hometown for inciting sectarian hatred.
Initially settling unnoticed, he later launched a local radio station to propagate his hard-line interpretation of Islam, rallying support against a Barelvi religious scholar, Pir Saifur Rehman, an Afghan migrant who ran a seminary in the area.
A violent rivalry erupted between the two, leading to clashes that resulted in a Jirga decision in 2006 to expel both clerics from the region. While Pir Saifur Rehman complied, Mufti Shakir initially resisted but was eventually forced out by local residents. He then appointed Mangal Bagh, a former transporter, as his successor, leading to the formation of Lashkar-i-Islam.
In 2008, the militant group was officially banned by the authorities.
Security forces launched multiple operations against Lashkar-i-Islam in the years that followed, demolishing militant hideouts and shutting down the illegal FM radio station Mufti Shakir had established in a mosque.
KP government spokesperson Barrister Saif, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Mufti Munir Shakir.
Condemning attacks on religious scholars, he stated that such incidents were deeply concerning. “The killers of innocent lives are enemies of humanity,” he remarked, emphasizing that those responsible for disturbing peace should be brought to justice at all costs.
