ISLAMABAD – Religious scholar and senior Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) leader Mufti Kifayatullah Swati breathed his last in Peshawar after succumbing to injuries sustained in a tragic family shooting incident earlier this month.
According to police and hospital sources, Mufti Kifayatullah was critically injured when his son opened fire at their residence, killing his brother and sister and injuring their mother. The cleric was rushed to the hospital, where doctors performed surgery and initially declared him out of danger. He was later shifted to Peshawar for further treatment.
After battling for several days, he could not recover and breathed his last today. Police detained assailant, Mufti Kifayatullah’s own son, the day after the incident.
Kifayatullah got his early religious education from local madrassa before pursuing higher studies at a leading seminary. Known for his integrity and outspokenness, he was a close aide of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and served as district chief of JUI-F Malakand.
He was elected as a Member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly (2008–2013) and was widely respected in religious and political circles alike. Mufti Kifayatullah also represented the Pashtun National Jirga (PNJ) and played a role in mediating sectarian conflicts, including leading a jirga delegation to Kurram district in December 2024.
During PTI government, Kifayatullah became known as a fiery opposition voice. He was arrested multiple times for his speeches against state institutions. In April 2021, he was detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) on the federal cabinet’s orders for allegedly making “anti-state statements.” He had earlier been taken into custody in October 2019 on similar charges.
His death has been widely mourned by political, religious, and social leaders across Pakistan. Tributes poured in for the late cleric, remembered as both a respected Islamic scholar and a straight-speaking politician.
JUI-F leader Mufti Kifayatullah, wife injured in firing at home in Malakand
