Munir Shakir killed in Peshawar blast

PESHAWAR (Pajhwok): Noted religious scholar Mufti Munir Shakir was killed and three others were wounded in an explosion in Peshawar on Saturday, officials said.

Munir Shakir, who founded the banned Lashkar-i-Islam outfit, was hit by the blast as he entered a mosque in the Armar area of the city.

Initially wounded in his left leg in the blast, he succumbed to injuries at the Lady Reading Hospital, where he was taken along three others — Khushal, Abid and Syed Nabi.

Mohammad Asim, a spokesman for the Lady Reading Hospital, confirmed: “Mufti Shakir was brought to LRH in critical condition and succumbed to his injuries.”

Police, bomb disposal unit and Counter-Terrorism Department personnel rushed to the scene and started collecting evidence.

Mufti Shakir created the Lashkar-i-Islam in December 2004 after Sipah and Malikdinkhel tribesmen promised him allegiance.

mud