Written by: Ismail Mumtaz
On February 28th, at 2:00 PM, following the Friday prayer, Mawlana Hamid ul Haq, surrounded by dozens of worshippers and devotees, proceeded towards the exit gate designated for scholars and teachers. As he reached the exit gate, a suicide bomber approached him and detonated his vest.
Mawlana Hamid ul Haq was critically injured in the attack and later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The attack occurred at the grand mosque of Jamia Haqqania in Akora Khattak, Nowshera city, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province—a location typically crowded with teachers, students, and worshippers on Fridays.
This attack was not unanticipated. According to news reports, Pakistani authorities had issued threat alerts to Mawlana Hamid, warning him of the possibility of being targeted. However, the measures taken by Pakistani security institutions to protect him and prevent the assassination attempt remain a significant point of concern.
Mawlana Hamid ul Haq was not only the deputy administrator of Jamia Haqqania but also the leader of Pakistan’s prominent religious political party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (S). The question arises: had the target been the leader of a political party like PMLN, the People’s Party, or any other secular party, would the Pakistani authorities have merely issued a threat alert, or would they have taken more substantial steps to apprehend the suicide bomber before he reached his target?
The fact that Pakistani security institutions were aware of the potential suicide bomber yet failed to prevent the attack underscores their approach to handling high-profile targets. Their procedure appears to be as follows:
1. Issue a threat alert.
2. Assign a few inadequately trained policemen for protection.
3. Monitor the potential attacker, facilitating his path to the target.
Issuing threat alerts and deploying a minimal police presence is a tactic designed to create the illusion of action, but such measures are no longer acceptable. Pakistani authorities must recognize that these methods are insufficient and cannot serve as effective responses to serious security threats.
Two days after the blast, on March 1st, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issued a public alert, accompanied by a photo of the decapitated suicide bomber, announcing a reward for information about his identity: “The public is hereby informed that anyone who provides accurate information about the name, father’s name, and address of this individual (photo from the remains of the suicide bomber) to the Counter-Terrorism Department of KP will be rewarded 500,000 PKR, and their identity will be kept confidential.”
This was the irresponsible and unprofessional response of the department, under the supervision of Pakistani intelligence agencies, to the high-profile assassination of a prominent political and religious figure. It raises serious questions about whether these institutions are grossly incompetent or deliberately deceiving the public.
As is typical, when a security incident occurs in Pakistan and the authorities lack answers, they resort to the easiest tactic: the blame game. Pro-military accounts on social media began posting simultaneously, claiming the suicide bomber was an Afghan national, shifting blame onto Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and ultimately linking the attack to the Afghan government.
Prominent Pakistani TV channels included the claim that “he was an advocate of women’s education” in their coverage of Maulana Hamid ul Haq’s assassination, in a misguided effort to implicate the Afghan government.
After the incident, a video was shared on social media by Maulana Hamid ul Haq’s supporters—his friends, students, and family members—in which they indirectly criticized Pakistani authorities and used harsh language against them.
It is noteworthy that his father, Mawlana Sami ul Haq, was also mysteriously assassinated in 2018 in one of Pakistan’s most secure communities, Bahria Town in Rawalpindi, which also houses the Pakistani military headquarters. At the time, Maulana Sami ul Haq had been a staunch critic of the Pakistani judiciary’s decision to release Asia Bibi and had planned to join nationwide protests against the ruling.
On the night of the murder, he was found in his room, covered in blood and with multiple stab wounds, in an area equipped with security cameras. Despite more than six years passing, no information has emerged about the attackers, and the case file remains neglected in a dusty cupboard, ignored by Pakistani authorities.
Pakistani security institutions will likely use the same tactics to placate Mawlana’s family, delay justice, and ultimately bury this case in the same forgotten archives.
However, it seems the religious circles of Pakistan will not allow this incident to be overlooked. In response to the attack, Mawlana Fazal-ur-Rahman stated: “This attack is an attack on my home and madrasa. We have been raising our voices about the unrest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for a long time, but the state remains a silent spectator, and the performance of law enforcement agencies is questionable.”
Four days after the attack, Jamia Haqqania issued a strong statement expressing concerns over the ongoing investigation into Mawlana Hamid ul Haq’s assassination and demanding the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the incident. The statement also referenced the unresolved murder of Mawlana Sami ul Haq, warning the government that if they believe they can repeat the same approach with this case, they are gravely mistaken.
The assassination of Maulana Hamid ul Haq is not just a tragedy for his family and followers but a stark reminder of the systemic failures within Pakistan’s security institutions. Without meaningful reforms and accountability, such incidents will continue to undermine public trust and perpetuate a cycle of violence and impunity.