Man accused of attacking Mufti Taqi Usmani has claimed that he only wanted to present chocolates to the cleric. Asim Laiq, the accused is telling Karachi police that he wanted to consult the cleric on a marital matter as a scholar. But several versions of the story have appeared in a day leaving media and public utterly confused.
Earlier on 8th July, it was reported from sources close to Mufti Taqi Usmani that he survived an assassination attempt on his life in Korangi, Karachi. According to the SSP Korangi Shah Jahan Khan, a man named Asim Laik asked Mufti Taqi Usmani for a separate meeting at the Dar Ul Uloom Korangi seminary after the Fajr prayer.
After getting permission, the man was searched before the meeting, where the guards found a knife in the possession of the attacker. He was immediately taken into custody by the guards and was later handed over to the Police. Police then started further investigating the case.
However, this is not the only version of the event. Later in the day, sources close to Taqi Usmani claimed that the accused wanted to meet the religious scholar after the Fajr prayers to discuss and seek guidance on some domestic issues, and upon meeting him brought out a knife from his pocket.
However, since other people were present at the moment, he was quickly outnumbered and detained by the crowd until being handed over to the police.
I brought chocolates for Taqi Usmani
All this time, only one side of the story was being circulated in the media, but the alleged 35-year-old attacker Asim Laik’s version of the incident has surfaced in the later part of the day.
Contradictory to the other versions, he claims that he had contacted the scholar to discuss a private matter of his divorce(khula) and wanted to have Mufti Usmani’s scholarly advice on the matter. “I love her a lot and decided to visit the scholar for dum (cast away evil eye),” the accused said.
He claims to be a devoted follower of Taqi Usmani and says that he was only there for a religious consultation.
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He said he even had brought chocolates with him to give to Taqi Usmani, along which the knife incidentally happened to be in his pocket.
The news of the attack immediately took over the media, the Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed himself called and asked after the health of Mufti Taqi Usmani and later tweeted on the matter.
In a tweet, the minister said he was “deeply concerned” over the “attack” on the scholar. “Mufti Taqi Usmani is an eminent scholar and the pride of Islam. I pray for his life,” he said.
مفتی تقی عثمانی کو ٹیلیفون کال
مفتی تقی عثمانی پر مبینہ چاقو سے حملے کے متعلق پوچھا
مفتی تقی عثمانی سے ان کی خیریت دریافت کی
آپ پر مبینہ حملے پر مجھے بڑی تشویش ہے،
مفتی تقی عثمانی اعلی پائے کے عالم اور دین اسلام کی شان ہیں،
مفتی عثمانی تقی عثمان کی زندگی کے لیے دعا گو ہیں،— Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) July 8, 2021
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail also expressed concern over the incident. He directed the Karachi police chief to investigate the attack and submit a comprehensive report. “Steps should be taken to ensure the safety of religious scholars,” he said in a statement.
Not the first attempt
However, this is not the first time that an attempt has been made on Maulana Taqi Usmani’s life. Earlier in 2019, Mufti had survived an attack when 2 gunmen opened fire on his car while passing from Nipa Flyover near Gulshan-e-Iqbal.
Although the cleric remained unhurt, two others were reported dead including the religious scholar Maulana Amir Shahab.
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It must be mentioned that Mufti Usmani is the son of Mufti Azam Pakistan, Mohammed Shafi Usmani, who was an active member of the Pakistan movement.