Web Desk: An improvised explosive device struck a prominent religious leader in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s South Waziristan district, leaving him critically injured and last night he died at a hospital in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The blast occurred in a busy market area of Wana, the district’s main town, according to local security sources.
The device detonated as Maulana Sultan, a senior cleric and head of a major federation of religious seminaries affiliated with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, was moving through Wana Bazaar.
The explosion threw bystanders into panic and left the cleric with life-threatening injuries. Rescue teams rushed him to the District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors placed him in critical care.
Although no group immediately claimed responsibility, officials described the attack as a targeted bombing, suggesting the device was planted to hit the cleric specifically.
Meanwhile, the attack has triggered sharp criticism from residents who say senior provincial leaders were absent from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the time of the blast.
Several top government officials, including the chief minister, were on an official visit to Sindh when the incident occurred, fueling public frustration in a province that has seen a steady rise in militant violence in recent months.
Local elders and community members in South Waziristan said the people of the region feel increasingly vulnerable as attacks continue despite repeated promises of improved security.
The bombing comes amid a broader surge in violence across Pakistan’s northwestern belt, where militants have stepped up attacks on political, religious and security figures.
Targeting influential clerics could further destabilise the region, as religious leaders often play key roles in mediation, local governance and public opinion.
Security forces sealed off the blast site and launched a search operation to identify those responsible. Investigators are examining whether the device was remotely detonated or triggered by a pressure mechanism.
However, residents say the bombing has once again exposed how fragile security remains in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, even as political leaders focus their attention elsewhere.
