Pakistan minister dies in road accident in Islamabad

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 16 : Pakistan's Religious Affairs Minister and a Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) leader Mufti Abdul Shakoor died in a road accident in Islamabad's Red Zone area, Dawn reported.

As per the local police, the minister (55) was heading towards Secretariat Chowk on Saturday evening on Constitution Avenue road when his vehicle was hit by a Hilux vehicle with five passengers on board.

Following the accident, the minister was immediately shifted to the Polyclinic Hospital in critical condition, but he couldn't be resuscitated.

The Inspector General of Police with other senior officers reached the scene of the accident and the hospital soon after receiving the information.

The police said all five occupants of the other vehicle were arrested and shifted to a nearby 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.

Sources in the hospital said the minister suffered a serious head injury, leading to his death. They said the body of the deceased had been handed over to the family after a post-mortem.

As per Dawn, the JUI-F leader was known for his fiery speeches against his political rivals, especially PTI. He had won the National Assembly seat of NA-51 in the 2018 general elections from the platform of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. He hailed from Lakki Marwat.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased and prayed for him.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended 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 and 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 over the sad demise of the minister. PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry and Faisal Javed also extended their condolences and prayed for the departed soul.