A blast involving explosive materials injured four people, including prominent cleric Mufti Munir Shakir, within the jurisdiction of the Armar police station in Peshawar. The incident occurred in the Armar police station’s area, and the injured were promptly taken to Lady Reading Hospital for treatment.
According to police reports, Mufti Munir Shakir, the founder of the militant group Lashkar-i-Islam, sustained injuries to his left foot in the explosion. The other wounded individuals were identified as Khushhal, Abid, and Syed Nabi.
Following the blast, all the injured were immediately transferred to Lady Reading Hospital for initial medical care. Police, along with officials from the Bomb Disposal Unit (BDU) and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), arrived at the scene swiftly to collect evidence and secure the area.
Law enforcement agencies have launched an investigation to determine the nature and cause of the explosion, with further inquiries ongoing in the surrounding area.
Mufti Munir Shakir, originally a cleric from Kurram Agency, settled in Bara tehsil of Khyber Agency in 2004 after being expelled from his hometown for inciting sectarian hatred. Initially unnoticed in Khyber, he later established a local radio station to promote his hard-line interpretation of Islam, gaining a following. His activities soon led to conflict with Pir Saifur Rehman, a Barelvi religious scholar who had migrated from Afghanistan in the 1980s and ran a seminary in the region.
The rivalry between the two clerics escalated into violent clashes, prompting a Jirga in 2006 to expel both from the area. While Pir Saifur Rehman complied, Mufti Munir Shakir resisted but was eventually forced out by locals. Before leaving, he appointed Mangal Bagh, a local transporter at the time, as his successor to lead the armed militia that became known as Lashkar-i-Islam.
In 2008, the Bara-based militant group Lashkar-i-Islam was officially banned by authorities.
