Mufti Kifayatullah, a senior leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) and the emir of Malakand District, passed away in an Islamabad hospital. He had been critically injured in a shooting at his residence in Batkhela on August 16, 2025. This tragic incident also claimed the lives of his son and daughter, and left his wife seriously wounded.
According to police and JUI-F sources, the shooting occurred at Kifayatullah’s home in Batkhela, Malakand. Allegedly, his son opened fire, injuring Kifayatullah, his wife, and another daughter, and killing a son and a daughter on the spot. Authorities reported that the second daughter later succumbed to her injuries. Kifayatullah was initially treated in Peshawar before being transferred to Islamabad, where he passed away.
The suspected shooter, identified as Muatasim, the son of Kifayatullah, fled the scene but was later arrested in the Sugar Batkhela area, where police discovered the murder weapon in his possession. The motive for the shooting is believed to be connected to a domestic dispute and the suspect’s reported drug addiction, which is still under investigation.
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Mufti Kifayatullah was a respected figure in JUI-F and Pakistani politics. He served as a Member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from 2008 to 2013 and was a close aide to JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Additionally, he represented the Pashtun National Jirga and mediated sectarian conflicts, notably in Kurram in December 2024. Known for his outspoken criticism of state institutions, he faced arrests in 2019 and 2021 for alleged anti-state statements.
Maulana Fazlur Rehman mourned his loss, stating, “Mufti Kifayatullah’s services for the party and his commitment to religion and politics will always be remembered. May Allah grant him Jannah and patience to his family.”
