A suicide attack killed six people at an Islamic seminary in northern Pakistan. The blast happened at the mosque inside Darul Uloom Haqqania. This seminary sits in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 55 miles from Peshawar.
Maulana Hamid ul-Haq died in the attack. He led the school and was a well-known religious leader. More than 10 other people were hurt. Police said the explosion came after Friday prayers.
The school has strong links to the Taliban. Many Taliban members studied there, including the group founder Mullah Omar. No one has claimed they did this attack. It happened just before the holy month of Ramadan started.
Hundreds of people were in the main hall when the bomb went off. Haq's son told the BBC he worries many people may have been hurt. Police have started looking into what happened.
The district police chief said people were meeting to greet Hamid ul-Haq when the blast occurred. The seminary teaches religious leaders and follows the Deoband school of thought. Some call it the "University of Jihad" because of its famous students.
These students include Jalaluddin Haqqani, who started the Haqqani Network. His son Sirajuddin also studied there. Both men led Taliban fights against Soviet forces first, then against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Haq was 57 years old. His father was Maulana Sami ul-Haq, known as the "Father of the Taliban." The younger Haq became vice-chancellor after his father was killed in 2018. He also led part of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam political party and served in Pakistan's National Assembly from 2002 to 2007.
The older Haq had close ties with Taliban leaders, including Mullah Omar. He often helped talks between Taliban members and the Pakistani government. Neither Haq nor his father fought against the state. They mostly acted as go-betweens for Pakistan and the Taliban.
Pakistan's President and Prime Minister both said the attack was wrong. The Pakistani Taliban also spoke against it. They called Haq a "preacher of truth, a kind teacher, and a brave supporter for the stability of madrassas."
Maulana Hamid ul-Haq died in the attack. He led the school and was a well-known religious leader. More than 10 other people were hurt. Police said the explosion came after Friday prayers.
The school has strong links to the Taliban. Many Taliban members studied there, including the group founder Mullah Omar. No one has claimed they did this attack. It happened just before the holy month of Ramadan started.
Hundreds of people were in the main hall when the bomb went off. Haq's son told the BBC he worries many people may have been hurt. Police have started looking into what happened.
The district police chief said people were meeting to greet Hamid ul-Haq when the blast occurred. The seminary teaches religious leaders and follows the Deoband school of thought. Some call it the "University of Jihad" because of its famous students.
These students include Jalaluddin Haqqani, who started the Haqqani Network. His son Sirajuddin also studied there. Both men led Taliban fights against Soviet forces first, then against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
Haq was 57 years old. His father was Maulana Sami ul-Haq, known as the "Father of the Taliban." The younger Haq became vice-chancellor after his father was killed in 2018. He also led part of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam political party and served in Pakistan's National Assembly from 2002 to 2007.
The older Haq had close ties with Taliban leaders, including Mullah Omar. He often helped talks between Taliban members and the Pakistani government. Neither Haq nor his father fought against the state. They mostly acted as go-betweens for Pakistan and the Taliban.
Pakistan's President and Prime Minister both said the attack was wrong. The Pakistani Taliban also spoke against it. They called Haq a "preacher of truth, a kind teacher, and a brave supporter for the stability of madrassas."
