Clerics Denounce Funeral Rites for TTP Commander in Pakistan

In Pakistan's Northwest, clerics refused to lead the funeral prayer for a TTP commander killed in clashes with security forces. Minhaj, the militant, was buried with minimal attendance, highlighting local resistance to honoring figures seen as enemies of the state.

In an unprecedented move in Pakistan's troubled northwest region, local clerics declined to conduct the funeral prayer for a militant commander from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The militant, identified as Minhaj, died last week during skirmishes with security forces in North Waziristan's Shawal area.

Officials reported that clerics in South Waziristan abstained from leading Minhaj's funeral service, emphasizing their refusal to pray for someone associated with violence against innocents and opposition to the state. Consequently, Minhaj was quietly interred in the Nargisai graveyard, Azam Warsak, with only a gathering of 10 to 20 individuals present.

Remarkably, the burial lacked any TTP flags or vocal support, setting an unusual precedent in Waziristan where even notorious figures are often afforded ceremonial prayers. A tribal elder remarked, "This is the fate of those who opposed the state."

(With inputs from agencies.)