By Khalid Khan
There is a new kind of terrorism surfacing in Pakistan, in which religious scholars are being targeted. In the past 14 days, 16 religious scholars have fallen victim to targeted assassinations, including the widely revered Mufti Munir Shakir. The chain of bloodshed that began with the killing of Darul Uloom Deoband Saani Akora’s leader, Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq Haqqani, is intensifying with each passing day.
The tragic martyrdom of countless religious scholars mars the history of Pakistan. These were individuals who dedicated their intellect, abilities, and faith to the promotion of religion, societal reform, and the cause of truth. Yet, their voices were brutally silenced. From Karachi to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan to the erstwhile tribal regions, and Sindh to Punjab, dozens of esteemed scholars have been assassinated. The list includes prominent names such as Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, Maulana Hassan Jan, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, Mufti Abdul Shakoor, Maulana Abdul Ghani, Maulana Rahimullah Haqqani, Maulana Saleemullah Khan, Maulana Ubaidullah Anwar, Maulana Muhammad Amin Orakzai, Maulana Yusuf Ludhianvi, and Maulana Naeemullah Haqqani.
“Scholars from every sect in Pakistan have been targeted, but Pashtun scholars and those belonging to the Deobandi school of thought have suffered the heaviest blows”
This pattern of killings is neither confined to a specific region nor limited to a particular timeframe; rather, it spans decades. The targeted assassinations of scholars are not merely acts of personal revenge but seem to be part of a calculated strategy aimed at suppressing certain ideologies and eliminating the torchbearers of faith. Scholars affiliated with the Deobandi school of thought have been particularly targeted, as their struggle was rooted in intellectual, ideological, and philosophical resistance. They consistently raised their voices against oppression and tyranny, and for that, they were mercilessly slain.
Instead of ceasing, these martyrdoms have only escalated over time. Scholars from every sect in Pakistan have been targeted, but Pashtun scholars and those belonging to the Deobandi school of thought have suffered the heaviest blows. The objective behind these killings is not merely to eliminate individuals but to annihilate an intellectual resistance that these scholars embodied.
Even today, the surviving religious scholars remain unsafe. Sheikh-ul-Islam Mufti Taqi Usmani, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Mufti Kifayatullah, Hafiz Hamdullah, Maulana Rashid Mahmood, and others have narrowly escaped multiple assassination attempts. Some were fortunate to survive, but these attacks underscore the continuous and grave threat to the lives of scholars in Pakistan.
These are not mere coincidences but a deeply rooted and sinister pattern. No government has demonstrated genuine commitment to bringing the perpetrators of these assassinations to justice. Most cases are buried in official files, while the assassins remain protected by unseen forces. The most tragic aspect of these martyrdoms is that the void left behind is never filled. One by one, the flames of knowledge and enlightenment are being extinguished, and society appears oblivious to the magnitude of this loss.
In Pakistan, the cheapest blood is that of religious scholars. Their funerals are massive, yet their killers are never brought to justice. This is not just a matter of a few individuals; it points to an ongoing historical pattern. If this trend continues, the lights of scholarship, research, and truth-seeking will grow dimmer, and the forces waging war against knowledge will prevail.
Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai of Karachi, a distinguished scholar, was ruthlessly assassinated. The renowned scholar of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Maulana Hassan Jan, met the same fate. Maulana Sami-ul-Haq Haqqani, Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq Haqqani, and Maulana Naseeb Khan were also martyred. In Balochistan, Maulana Muhammad Hanif, Maulana Abdul Ghani Haqqani, and Maulana Abdul Salam were targeted. Maulana Syed Shamsuddin in Zhob and Mufti Abdul Shakoor and Maulana Mirajuddin in the erstwhile tribal regions also laid down their lives in this ongoing tragedy.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mufti Sardar Ali Haqqani and Maulana Rahimullah Haqqani were martyred, while in Waziristan, Maulana Noor Muhammad and Maulana Mirza Jan were slain. In Bajaur, Maulana Noor Islam Nizami, Maulana Ziaullah Jan, Maulana Sultan Muhammad, Maulana Muhammad Azeem, Maulana Hameedullah Haqqani, and Maulana Shafiullah also fell victim to this brutality.
“Is some clandestine power paving the way for the establishment of an illegitimate state in the Pashtun belt, akin to Israel? —a state that would pose a permanent threat to Russia, China, Iran, and Central Asia”
This cycle of violence was not confined to Pashtun scholars alone. In Karachi, Maulana Abdul Sami, Mufti Jamil, Maulana Muhammad Saleh, Maulana Muhammad Amin Orakzai, Dr. Habibullah Mukhtar, Maulana Inayatullah Khan, Maulana Atiq-ur-Rehman, and Maulana Dr. Adil Khan were also assassinated. In Sindh, Maulana Dr. Khalid Mehmood Soomro was targeted, while in Balochistan, Mufti Mir Aziz Shah and Wadera Ghulam Sarwar Musiani were among the victims of this bloodshed.
If we examine the Pashtun region, historically, it has had three major leadership centers: nationalist leaders, tribal elders, and religious scholars. Over the past 50 years, nationalist leaders and tribal elders have been mercilessly eliminated. Now, religious scholars are being selectively targeted—especially those who declared terrorism and suicide bombings as forbidden in Islam.
However, the recent surge in targeted killings hints at more alarming underlying factors. It appears that an invisible force is systematically removing religious scholars—those who believe in both Pashtun nationalism and the integrity of Pakistan. The void created by their absence might be deliberately filled with more extreme ideologies.
Is some clandestine power paving the way for the establishment of an illegitimate state in the Pashtun belt, akin to Israel?—-a state that would pose a permanent threat to Russia, China, Iran, and Central Asia, while simultaneously pushing Pakistan into deeper instability? A militarized, radical entity that would act as a double-edged sword—both hanging over India and gripping Afghanistan by the throat?
The coming days seem to herald a blood-soaked wave of terrorism. To combat this, a broad-based political consensus and unwavering support for the state are imperative.
