At least six people were killed in a suicide attack at the Islamic Seminary in North Pakistan, which is described as a “jihad university”.
The explosion took place in the mosque within Darul Ulum Hakania, in Hiber Pahtunva province, about 55 km (34 miles) from the northern city of Peshawar.
Maulana Hamid Ul-Hak, a prominent priest and the influential school leader, is among the dead. Police said more than 10 other people were injured.
The seminary has long been associated with the Taliban, as several of its members, including the founder of the group Mula Omar, trains there.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which appeared before the start of the Holy Month Ramadan.
The explosion took place after prayers on Friday, according to local police.
Hack's son, Husima Sammy, told the BBC that hundreds were present in the main hall during the blast and that he was afraid there would be many casualties.
An investigation has been launched in the attack.
“The initial reports suggest that the explosion came after prayers on Friday, as people were gathering to greet Hamid Ul-Hak,” Abdul Rashid, the head of the Regional Police, told the AFP agency.
The Seminary – where clergy is taught – also known as Medresa, is considered one of the most famous religious educational institutions in the region and is an important academic center of the Deoband mental school.
He was named “Jihad University” because of his remarkable graduates, including Jalaludin Hacani, founder of Hakkani's belligerent network and his son Sirajuddin Hakan.
Both men played key roles in leading the Taliban rebels, first against Soviet forces, and later against the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan.
The 57-year-old hack is the son of the influential Pakistani priest Maulana Sami Ul-Hak, widely known as the “Taliban father”.
He became Deputy Chancellor of the Seminary after his father Murder in 2018, and head of a faction of the religious political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Jui-F).
He is also a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2002 to 2007.
Hack's father had long -standing ties with the leadership of Afghan Taliban, including Mula Omar.
It was considered an influential figure in facilitating negotiations between the Taliban and the Pakistani government.
Despite his strong ties with the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, neither a hack nor his father were directly involved in any state movements.
Instead, they were often regarded as intermediaries between Pakistan and the Taliban.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Mohammed Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack, as well as the Pakistani Taliban.
The group described a hack as “a preacher of truth, a compassionate teacher and a fearless adherent of the stability of the madrasa.”