JUI-F leader Maulana Hafiz Sultan killed in Wana IED attack

WANA (Dunya News) – Senior Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) leader and religious scholar Maulana Hafiz Sultan Muhammad has been killed in a terrorist attack in Wana, the main town of Lower South Waziristan, police and party officials confirmed on Saturday.

His young daughter was also injured in the incident.

According to police, a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) was planted near a religious seminary to target Maulana Sultan Muhammad, who was serving as the district president of Wafaq-ul-Madaris al-Arabia. The device was detonated as he passed the area in Wana, causing critical injuries to him and wounding his child.

The cleric was rushed to Dera Ismail Khan for emergency treatment but succumbed to his injuries on the way, police said.

Lower South Waziristan District Police Officer (DPO) Muhammad Tahir Shah Wazir confirmed that an investigation is under way. He said law-enforcement agencies are examining all aspects of the attack, and that evidence collected from the scene is being analysed to identify and trace those responsible.

JUI-F said the killing once again highlighted the grave security risks faced by religious scholars who advocate peace and moderation in areas such as Bajaur and South Waziristan, which have a strong religious identity and have repeatedly been targeted by militants.

The party also recalled that six months ago, JUI-F Lower South Waziristan district chief Maulana Abdullah Nadeem was seriously injured in a bomb blast and remains under treatment, while former district chief Maulana Mirza Jan had previously been killed in a terrorist attack.

جنوبی وزیرستان (لوئر) میں ہونے والے بم دھماکے میں جمعیۃ علماء اسلام کے مخلص اور جری رہنما مولانا سلطان محمد کی شہادت پر گہرا دکھ اور افسوس ہوا ہے،یہ واقعہ محض ایک فرد پر حملہ نہیں بلکہ اعتدال پسند، پرامن اور جمہوری فکر پر حملہ ہے جس کی علمبردار جمعیۃ علماء اسلام ایک صدی پر محیط…

— Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman (@MoulanaOfficial) January 10, 2026

Reacting to the killing, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed deep grief and sorrow over the loss of what he described as a sincere and courageous colleague. In a statement issued on X, he said the attack was not only on an individual but on moderate, peaceful and democratic thought, which JUI-F has upheld for nearly a century.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the party would continue its constitutional, democratic and peaceful struggle despite the sacrifices it faces. He also urged national security institutions to restore peace, ensure the protection of religious scholars, and bring the perpetrators to justice.