Maulana Samiul Haq laid to rest

The funeral prayers of slain religious scholar and former chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) Maulana Samiul Haq were offered in Akora Khattak in district Nowsehra. Haq's funeral prayers were led by his son Maulana Hamidul Haq. The former senator was laid to rest near Darul Uloom Haqqania. Thousands of supporters, politicians, scholars attended the funeral.
Haq was assassinated in a knife attack at his residence in Rawalpindi on Friday evening. As per details garnered, foolproof security arrangements were made to avoid any untoward situation. The town administration has summoned additional contingents of security forces in this regard. Prayers for the slain leader were offered at the Khushal Khan Degree College ground after the body was brought to his hometown overnight. A 65-member Afghan delegation also paid its respects.
Besides, Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Khursheed Shah, Asfandyar Wali, Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Chief Minister and provincial ministers, several religious leaders and politicians, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor, provincial chief minister, JI Chief Sirajul Haq, former KP governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, ANP's Ghulam Bilour, PML-N's Raja Zafarul Haq and others attended the funeral. Envoys of Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar also attended the funeral prayer. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government also declared a day of mourning following the assassination.
Maulana Samiul Haq was stabbed to death while he was resting in his room at his residence in Rawalpindi on Friday. His son, Maulana Hamidul Haq, had said that the JUI-S chief's "driver-cum-guard went out for 15 minutes" and returned to find him dead.
Meanwhile, a probe was launched into Maulana Samiul Haq's assassination as forensic experts and investigation officers collected evidence from his Rawalpindi residence. Police took Maulana Samiul Haq's two domestic staff members into custody for questioning.
A first investigation report (FIR) of Haq's assassination was registered earlier on Saturday. The FIR was filed on the complaint of the religious scholar's son, Maulana Hamidul Haq, against unknown persons in the Airport Police Station. As per the FIR, Maulana Samiul Haq was attacked at 6:30pm and was stabbed 12 times in his abdomen, chest, forehead and ear. Maulana Hamidul Haq further said that they did not want to get the JUI-S chief's post-mortem conducted.