Sami was prepared to mediate Afghan peace talks: son

JUI-S acting chief says support religious parties’ stance against amendment to blasphemy law

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) Amir Maulana Hamidul Haq said on Saturday his father, the late Maulana Samiul Haq, was assassinated at a time when he was preparing to mediate for Afghan peace process.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the party’s provincial leadership in Peshawar, Hamid warned against making any amendments to the Namoos-e-Risalat law, saying that his party supported other religious parties on the issue.

“My father was extending moral and political support to Taliban and all the stakeholders had tasked him to mediate for Afghan peace,” Haqqani told reporters. “Foreign agents killed him [Maulana Sami] when he was all prepared to negotiate between the [Afghan] stakeholders.”

To a question, Hamid said that his father loved Pakistan. He added that his [Maulana Sami] martyrdom would encourage his followers to work with more zeal for the development and prosperity of the country.

About the investigations into the killing of Maulana Sami earlier this month, Hamid stated that Punjab police were making progress. However, he urged the relevant authorities to speed up the process and bring the killers to justice.

He warned that enemies of Pakistan wanted to weaken the country; therefore, the government should take steps to protect the lives and property of the people.



Chief of his eponymous faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) and prominent religious scholar Maulana Sami was assassinated in a knife attack at his residence in Rawalpindi on November 2. He was 80.

His son Maulana Hamid told the media that his father was resting at his residence while his driver, who was also his security guard, was not present when the assailant scaled the wall to attack him with a knife.

“His driver Haqqani had gone out. On his return, he found Maulana Sahib lying in a pool of blood in his bed,” he told news channels.

The assailant stabbed him several times in the chest and the head before fleeing the scene unidentified and unchallenged. The Maulana was rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.