LAHORE: A delegation of the ulema of Deoband seminaries visited Jamia Naeemia here on Sunday to condole with Raghib Naeemi on the death of his father, Dr Sarfraz Naeemi, in a suicide attack a couple of weeks ago.

Responsibility for the attack had been accepted by Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud, belonging to the Deoband school of thought. Led by Maulana Saleemullah Khan, the delegation included Qari Hanif Jallandhury, Maulana Abdur Rehman Ashrafi, Maulana Fazlur Raheem, Ahmad Mian Thanvi and Mujeebur Rehman Inqilabi.

Ruet-i-Hilal Committee chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman and Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Sialvi were also present.

Jallandhury told reporters Dr Naeemi’s death was a national tragedy and that the attack had been conducted under a conspiracy to ignite sectarianism in the country.

He praised scholars of the Barelvi school of thought for observing restraint and saving the country from a sectarian outbreak.