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At least five people are dead while over 12 are critically injured till now. Senior religious leader Maulana Hamidul Haq Haqqani has also been critically injured in the blast,
confirmed Zulfiqar Hameed, Inspector General (IG) of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Maulana Hamid-ul-Haq... died on the spot and around two dozen people were injured in the blast,
he said
Initial reports suggest the blast occurred after Friday prayers as people were gathering to greet Hamid ul Haq. It appears to be a suicide attack,
Abdul Rasheed, the district police chief, told the French AFP news agency
Given the symbolism of this seminary and its history, it is highly likely that the attack was carried out by ISKP. The group has ideological differences with the Afghan Taliban and their supporters, who follow the Deoband school of thought,
said Ihsanullah Tipu, an Islamabad-based security analyst
Such cowardly and heinous acts of terrorism cannot dampen our resolve against terrorism,
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saidThis attack, which targeted a mosque on a Friday, will likely be used by the Afghan Taliban and their supporters to reinforce their claim that ISKP is not part of Islam,
he addedThis seminary has deep historical ties with the Afghan Taliban. Many of its students fought against US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and the current Afghan rulers are actively cracking down on ISKP in their country,
he saidAfter offering prayer, Hamidul Haq was leaving the mosque to go home and as he reached the main gate, a powerful explosion occurred, and I fell to the ground, losing consciousness,
Zia told The Associated Press from his hospital bed
Hamid ul Haq has been martyred, and it appears he was the target of the suicide bomber,
Abdul Rasheed, the district police chief, told AFP, adding
The explosion happened in the first row, in front of the imam. It was prayer time, but it is not clear if it happened as people stood for prayer,
said district police officer Noor Ali Khan