Investigators have identified the terrorist network behind the assassination of Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani, head of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Samiul Haq group) and deputy administrator of Darul Uloom Haqqania, confirming the involvement of a global terror outfit backed by intelligence agencies from two hostile foreign countries. A classified report detailing the findings has been submitted to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, senior security officials confirmed on Friday.
According to the high-level investigation, the targeted attack that martyred Maulana Hamidul Haq on February 28 in Akora Khattak was not an isolated act of violence but part of a meticulously planned operation executed with transnational support. The report reveals that a foreign suicide bomber infiltrated the premises of Darul Uloom Haqqania and detonated explosives inside the main mosque shortly after Friday prayers, killing eight people including the religious scholar.
Security officials have confirmed the nationality and identity of the suicide attacker, stating that the assailant entered the seminary from outside and was not affiliated with any internal group or local network. “The attack bore the hallmarks of a broader strategy aimed at destabilizing Pakistan by targeting its prominent religious and ideological figures,” the report notes.
Inspector General of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Zulfiqar Hameed, while speaking to media, confirmed that law enforcement agencies have made significant headway in the case. “We have successfully identified the group responsible for planning the attack on Maulana Hamidul Haq Shaheed. The investigation is progressing rapidly, and all those behind this heinous act will be brought to justice,” he said.
The attack, which took place in the historic seminary’s main mosque in Nowshera district, sent shockwaves through religious and political circles. Darul Uloom Haqqania, often described as the ideological heartland of Deobandi scholarship in the region, has long been considered a symbol of religious education in Pakistan. Maulana Hamidul Haq, son of the late Maulana Samiul Haq, was widely respected for his scholarship and leadership.
Government officials have not yet disclosed the names of the foreign agencies involved, citing national security protocols, but sources say the findings have prompted urgent diplomatic and intelligence-level consultations.
The assassination has sparked renewed concerns over the evolving threat posed by externally supported militant networks operating in the region. Senior officials reiterated that Pakistan remains committed to dismantling such networks and will not allow its soil or institutions to be targeted by foreign-sponsored terrorism.
