Significant progress has been made in the investigation of the attack on Mufti Munir Shakir in Peshawar.

According to police, the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) containing 600 grams of explosives, planted near the small gate of the mosque.

Authorities revealed that as soon as Mufti Munir Shakir entered the mosque, the device detonated, instantly killing him and injuring three others.

Law enforcement officials have gathered CCTV footage and other crucial evidence from the scene as the investigation continues to track down those responsible.

Son refuses burial, demands accountability

Following Mufti Munir Shakir’s martyrdom in the blast, his son has refused to proceed with the burial until police officials are held accountable. He accused authorities of ignoring repeated security requests despite persistent threats against his father.

“You tied my hands and feet so someone could martyr Mufti Sahib,” he alleged, further stating, “I was denied the right to bear arms, yet my father was left unprotected.”

The refusal to bury Mufti Munir Shakir has escalated tensions in the area, with local residents joining in protest, demanding justice.

Mufti Munir Shakir’s past

According to local English media, Mufti Munir Shakir, originally from the Kurram Agency, moved to Bara in the Khyber Agency in 2004 after being expelled from his hometown for inciting sectarian divisions.

Initially unnoticed, he later gained influence through a local radio station, rallying supporters under his ideological banner.

His primary rival was Barelvi cleric Pir Saifur Rehman, an Afghan refugee who established a madrassa in the region during the 1980s.

Their rivalry escalated into violent clashes, prompting a 2006 tribal jirga to order both clerics to leave the area. Pir Saifur Rehman complied, while Mufti Munir Shakir resisted before eventually leaving under local pressure.

Before his departure, he appointed local transporter Mangal Bagh as his successor, who later formed the militant group Lashkar-e-Islam. The group, active in the region, was banned in 2008.