PM, President condole the death of Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor
Mufti Abdul Shakoor. — APP file
Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor died in a road accident in Islamabad's Red Zone area. He was 55.
The minister, who belonged to the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) (JUI-F) party, was travelling towards the Constitution Avenue when his vehicle was hit by a Hilux carrying five passengers.
The minister was shifted to the Polyclinic Hospital in critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The police said all five occupants of the other vehicle were arrested and shifted to a police station for investigation. It is still unclear if the minister was alone in the vehicle or if there were some other people with him as well. A police source, however, said the minister was driving the car, reported Dawn.
The JUI-F leader was known for his fiery speeches against his political rivals, especially PTI. He hailed from the Lakki Marwat area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased and prayed for him.
Terming him a "practical scholar, an ideological political activist and a good human being", Sharif tweeted, "I am deeply saddened to hear of the sudden death of my friend, colleague and important member of the cabinet, Mufti Abdul Shakoor. He was a practical scholar, an ideological political activist and a good human being. May Allah grant forgiveness to the deceased and patience to the bereaved".
President Arif Alvi, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, National Assembly Speaker Pervaiz Ashraf and several other political figures also condoled the demise of the minister. PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry and Faisal Javed also extended their condolences and prayed for the departed soul.