Religious Affairs Minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor died in a road accident in Islamabad on Saturday, capital police said. Police said on Twitter that the minister's car was "hit by a Hilux Revo" while he was travelling from Mariott towards the Secretariat Chowk. Five people were traveling in the Hilux Revo and they, along with their vehicle, have been taken into custody, police added. Meanwhile, the minister was shifted to Poly Clinic Hospital, but he didn't survive the accident, the police statement said. Talking to the media later outside the hospital, Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Akbar Nasir Khan said Shakoor was driving his car alone when he collided with the other vehicle. "He died on the spot from the head injury he suffered," Khan said. The IGP said an investigation was under way, the vehicle and its driver were in custody while those injured in the other vehicle were also under treatment. Mufti Shakoor was an MNA of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) from the erstwhile tribal areas. The JUI-F said his funeral prayers would be offered at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Lakki Marwat. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed sorrow and regret over Mufti Shakoor's demise, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said. The premier extended his condolences to the deceased's family and prayed for him, the statement said, adding that Shakoor was one of the "dynamic and ideological leaders" of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and a good person. PM Shehbaz praised his performance as the religious affairs minister. Separately, the premier tweeted from his account that he was deeply saddened to hear about the "sudden death of my friend, colleague and an important member of the cabinet, Mufti Abdul Shakoor". President Dr. Arif Alvi lauded Mufti Shakoor's services towards interfaith harmony. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed regret over the incident and extended his condolences to Shakoor's family. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said he had ordered Islamabad's inspector general of police to carry out a thorough investigation into the incident. National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf praised Shakoor as being a "pious person and principled politician" who worked hard for people's welfare and the country's development. Images carried by local broadcaster Geo News showed Shakoor's damaged vehicle sitting in the middle of the road, surrounded by a chasm of onlookers. Shakoor, a veteran lawmaker from the mainstream religious party Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl, was elected as a member of the lower house – the National Assembly – in the 2018 general elections. His funeral prayers will be held in his ancestral Lakki Marwat district of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday, his party said in a statement. — Agencies
