A senior leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Sultan Muhammad Wazir, was martyred on Saturday after suffering critical injuries in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in South Waziristan, police said.
The incident occurred in the Wana bazaar area, where suspected militants targeted Maulana Wazir and his young daughter. According to police, a remote-controlled, locally manufactured IED had been planted near a religious seminary to strike Wazir, who was also serving as the district president of Wafaqul Madaris al Arabia.
Maulana Wazir sustained serious injuries in the explosion and was being shifted to Dera Ismail Khan for treatment when he succumbed to his wounds en route.
Lower South Waziristan District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Tahir Shah Wazir confirmed the attack and said an investigation was underway. He added that law enforcement agencies were reviewing all possible angles and analysing evidence recovered from the scene to identify those responsible.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed deep grief over the killing, describing him as a sincere and courageous party leader.
In a statement issued on X, he said the attack was not just aimed at an individual but was an assault on moderate, peaceful and democratic thinking, which JUI-F has represented through decades of struggle.
Source: Express Tribune
