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Hafiz Hussain Ahmed	Hafiz Hussain Ahmed	Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal)	India-Pakistan				20020707
	Hafiz Hussain Ahmed	Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal	Afghanistan/South Asia				20050721
	Hafiz Hussain Ahmed	Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal	Afghanistan/South Asia			Big Shot	20020309
	Hafiz Hussain Ahmed	Jamaat-e-Islami	India-Pakistan				20030531
	Hafiz Hussain Ahmed	Jamaatud Dawa	India-Pakistan				20030718
	Hafiz Hussain Ahmed	Pak-Afghan Defence Council	India-Pakistan				20020831
Hafiz Hussain Ahmed Sharodi	Hafiz Hussain Ahmed Sharodi	Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam	Afghanistan/South Asia			Big Shot	20011003

India-Pakistan

JUI-F to table resolution in NA to de-seat Imran

2015-01-13

[DAWN] Seeking to de-seat Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems... from his National Assembly membership in view of his perpetual absence from the House's sessions, the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability... Fazl (JUI-F) on Monday decided to move a resolution against the cricketer-turned-politician in the Parliament. "Our wedding gift to Imran Khan will be de-seating him from his NA membership," said JUI-F Central Information Secretary Hafiz Hussain Ahmed while speaking to Dawn. Last week, Khan tied the knot with DawnNews anchor Reham Khan in a low-key ceremony. As mandated by the Constitution, no member of the Parliament can remain absent for 40 consecutive sessions. In a case where a member is absent for 40 sessions, any member of the Parliament can bring attention of the NA speaker to the motion to unseat the member. It may be mentioned that Khan has remained absent from the house for 41 consecutive days his latest being today's session. JUI-F MNA Naeema Khishwar has been directed by party chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... to table the resolution in the NA. Fazl and Imran have exchanged heated words on numerous occasions. Tensions between the two politicians had reached a new level after the May 2013 general elections.

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India-Pakistan

JUI-F distances from counterterrorism legislation

2015-01-06

Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Pakistan-Fazal (JUI-F) has startled its coalition partners by announcing that it will not support the amendments in the Constitution and the Army Act the PML-N-led government has tabled in the National Assembly to fight terrorism. “This is an action targeting the religious-minded of a single sect. We were neither informed about the amendments nor was our input (in drafting them) taken,” declared the party chief, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, at a press conference here. His statement came on the day the assembly started debating the bill amending the Army Act to allow military courts to try civilians too in terrorism cases. JUI-F chief was also critical of linking madaris (Islamic schools) and seminaries with the spread of terrorism in the country. His grievances were shared by the chief of Jamaat-i-Islami, the only other Islamic party represented in the parliament. Mr Sirajul Haq separately told a party gathering that the target of those decrying terrorism was Islam and the madaris. Both the leaders spoke of ‘consequences’ if their fears became the truth in the guise of counterterrorism under the National Action Plan (NAP) that their parties had agreed to in the aftermath of the Peshawar carnage of schoolchildren last month. However, Jamaat-i-Islami Emir sounded more specific. “If there is any large scale action against the madaris,” he said, Maulana Fazlur Rehman confined himself to saying that there is no distinction between terrorists. “A terrorist is a terrorist. How can one say this is religious terrorism? And what about killing in the name of ethnicity and tribes? Is that not terrorism?” he asked. Incidentally, neither the Maulana neither his party ever hinted at any of the known terrorist groups being behind the terror attacks the JUI-F have suffered over the years. Senior party leaders say the government’s approach to the issue is not directed to end terrorism, but to sidetrack the public sentiments from the root causes of terrorism. “This is a flawed policy,” spokesperson and former JUI-F MNA, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed told Dawn. “Who cut deals with Baitullah Mehsud?” he pointedly asked referring to the ferocious leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, killed in a US drone attack in August 2009.

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India-Pakistan

Five-member police team to probe JUI-F office-bearer's murder

2014-11-30

[DAWN] HYDERABAD: IG Police Sindh Ghulam Hyder Jamali on Saturday formed a five member team to investigate the murder of Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro, general secretary of the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...the political wing of the Pak Taliban... -Fazl (JUI-F) Sindh chapter. The team, which has started its investigation, is headed by DIG Larkana Saeen Rakhio Mirani with DIG Special Branch Sukkur Sharjeel Karim Kharal, SSP Sukkur Tanvir Tunio and SSPs of Shikarpur and Khairpur as members. Soomro was rubbed out in Sukkur early Saturday morning when he was leaving a mosque attached to a madrassah after offering Fajr prayers. Authorities are looking at a number of probabilities relating to Soomro's liquidation. They have recovered six bullet empties and got an eyewitness account claiming there were three to four assailants who arrived in a white car and left in a hurry. "We have got an eyewitness account of a mason who was present in the seminary-cum-mosque," said DIG Mirani, who holds the additional charge of DIG Sukkur Range police as well. According to Mirani, the assailants struck just before the morning Fajr prayers. "Gunmen sprayed Soomro with bullets while prayer was about to start," added Mirani from Larkana. Soomro had addressed a 'Payam-e-Amn' conference in Qasim Bagh Sukkur and had stayed in Jamia Haqania which is an under-construction seminary-cum-mosque located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Site area. Soomro, who was known for his fiery ...a single two-syllable word carrying connotations of both incoherence and viciousness. A fiery delivery implies an audience of rubes and yokels, preferably forming up into a mob... speeches, had been vocal on issues of Sindh and had worked with nationalist parties and the PPP over issues such as Kalabagh Dam, Greater Thal Canal and missing persons. There were around seven to eight other people who had gathered to offer morning prayers. With serious bullet wounds, Soomro was taken to a nearby private hospital where he was pronounced dead. He's dead, Jim! His family did not allow medico legal officers to conduct post-mortem. "We [the authorities] have not yet been able to find those responsible for the suicide kaboom on our emir, Maulana Fazalur Rehman. Authorities are in a habit of issuing a cyclostyle statement through Twitter and Facebook to condemn something. But in the present case, even such a statement has not been issued," reacted Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a central leader of JUI-F, who had reached Larkana from Punjab. Funeral proceedings of Soomro will be held in Larkana at his seminary and he will be laid to rest after Maghrib prayers at a nearby space available adjacent to his seminary. Party leaders from across Sindh have started reaching Larkana to offer condolences.

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India-Pakistan

Fazl in Doha for talks with Afghan Taliban: JUI-F

2013-02-11

[Dawn] Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability... (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... has gone to Qatar to hold talks with the Taliban, revealed Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a leader of the party and general secretary of the Milli Yakjehti Council, on Saturday. Speaking at a condolence reference for Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad ... third president (1987—2009) of the PakJamaat-e-Islami. Qazi was also head of the Muttahidah Majlis-e-Amal until his ego became bigger than the organization. Qazi is what is known as a fiery preacher, which means he has lots of volume, a good delivery, and not a lot of reverence for coherence. He was the patron of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Rasool Sayyaf and Osama bin Laden during the war against the Soviets. He used to recommend drinking camel's urine to maintain good health before his kidneys started to go... here, he urged the government and the army to take the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain's talks offer seriously and initiate a dialogue to ensure a peaceful atmosphere during the general election. But contrary to the statement by Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a front man for JUI-F, Abdul Jalil Jan, told Dawn in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. that Maulana Fazl had gone abroad on a private visit. According to the western media, the US is in contact with the Taliban in Qatar to persuade the turban group to initiate negotiations with the Afghan government as Washington prepares for the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan in 2014. Hafiz Hussain did not disclose on whose behalf Mr Rehman had gone to Doha. However, nothing needs reforming like other people's bad habits... he said the JUI-F was playing a pivotal role in the grinding of the peace processor and the maulana was in Qatar to advance the process. He said the use of force was no solution to the conflict between the Taliban and the military and urged them to sit on the negotiating table to restore peace in the region. The Jamaat's deputy Amir, Sirajul Haq, said the government was looking towards the US for a signal after the negotiation offer by the Taliban. "The government is not sincere in peace negotiations and is waiting for dictation from Americans." He said if the US could hold talks with the Taliban why Pakistain could not do so.

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-Obits-

Islamic sendoff for Qazi Hussain Ahmed in Peshawar

2013-01-07

Ululululululululu *deep breath* ulululululululu... [Dawn] The funeral prayers of former Jamaati-e-Islami (JI) chief, Qazi Hussain Ahmed ...the absolutely humorless, xenophobic former head of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. He was also head of the MMA, a coalition of religious parties formed after 2001 that eventually collapsed under the weight of the holy egos involved. Qazi was the patron of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar during the Afghan mujaheddin's war against the Soviets. His sermons are described as fiery, which means they rely heavily on gospel and not at all on logic. Qazi once recommended drinking camel pee for good health, but that was before his kidneys went... were held on motorway Ring Road in Beautiful Downtown Peshawar ...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire. on Sunday, January 6, 2012, DawnNews reported. The funeral prayers were led by JI Chief Syed Munawar Hassan ... The funny-looking Amir of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. He joined the National Students Federation (NSF), a lefty student body, and was elected its President in 1959. He came into contact with the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT) Pakistan and studied the writings of Mawlana Syed Abul Ala Maududi, The Great Apostasizer. As a result, he joined IJT in 1960 and soon he was elected as President of its University of Karachi Unit and member of the Central Executive Council. He was Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistain in 1992-93, and became Secretary General in 1993. After years of holding Qazi's camel he was named Amir when the old man stepped down in 2009... , and were attended by a large number of political and religious leaders including Central Amir of Jamaat e Ulema Islam (JUI-F) Fazlur Rehman, Chairman Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... President, Javed Hashmi, JUI-F leader, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, JI leader Liaquat Baloch, Former Senior Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... Minister, Siraj Ul Haq, JUI-Sami Chief, Maulana Samiul Haq ...the Godfather of the Taliban, leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as Mullah Sandwich for his habit of having two young boys at a time... , Professor Khurshid Ahmed, former MNA Shabeer Ahmed Khan, senators, members of the parliament, officials, ex-local government representatives, and a large number of workers of JI. After the prayers, his body was shifted to Ziarat Kaka Sahib in Nowshera district where he was laid to rest in his ancestral graveyard. Earlier today, Ahmed's body was brought from Islamabad to his residence in Peshawar. Many party workers and supporters from all over the country were traveling to Peshawar to attend the funeral. President of Pakistain Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Federal Information Qamar Zaman Kaira, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor and Chief Minister offered condolences over the death of the veteran politician and called it a great loss. Pakistain Mohammedan league- Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... , Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Muttahida Qaumi Movement ...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead... (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain and Religious scholar and Minhaj-ul-Koran International chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, among others, also offered condolences over the demise of the former JI chief. The 74-year-old religious scholar had died in Islamabad of cardiac illness. Ahmed was suffering from cardiac disease for quite some time and turned critical three days ago. Qazi Hussain Ahmed, 74, was also a prominent religious scholar, Islamic theologian, Islamic democracy advocate. Qazi joined JI in 1978 and was elected as the party's ameer (chief) in 1987, a position he would be re-elected to on two more occassions before finally stepping down in 2009. He served as the party's ameer for 22 years. Last November, he escaped an attack unhurt when a jacket wallah detonated explosives near his convoy in the Mohmand tribal agency.

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Britain

MEMRI: Britain's Lord Nazir Ahmed Offers £10mil. Bounty for Obama, Bush

2012-04-16

During a recent visit to Pakistain, Lord Nazir Ahmed, a member of the British House of Lords who originally hails from Pak Kashmire, announced he was putting up a bounty of £10 million for the capture of U.S. President Barack Obama I inhaled. That was the point... and his predecessor, George W. Bush. The announcement, made at a conference held in the Pak town of Haripur, came in response to a recent U.S. announcement offering a $10 million reward to anyone providing information leading to the capture of Hafiz Muhammad Saeed ...who would be wearing a canvas jacket with very long sleeves anyplace but Pakistain... , founder of the Pak jihadi organization Lashkar-e-Taiba ...the Army of the Pure, an Ahl-e-Hadith terror organization founded by Hafiz Saeed. LeT masquerades behind the Jamaat-ud-Dawa facade within Pakistain and periodically blows things up and kills people in India. Despite the fact that it is banned, always an interesting concept in Pakistain, the organization remains an blatant tool and perhaps an arm of the ISI... (LeT), and emir of LeT's charity arm, Jamaat-ud-Dawa ...the front organization of Lashkar-e-Taiba... .[1] Stressing the seriousness of his offer, Lord Ahmed said he would back the bounty at any cost, even if it meant selling his house. Qazi Muhammad Asad, minister for education in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... provincial government, was among those present at the conference at which the announcement was made. Following are excerpts from a report on the announcement that appeared in the Pak daily The Express Tribune:[2]  "In an expression of solidarity with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, British parliamentarian of Kashmiri origin Lord Nazir Ahmed has announced a reward for the [capture] of U.S. President Barack Obama and his predecessor, George W. Bush. "He made the announcement at a reception arranged in his honor by the business community of Haripur on Friday [April 13, 2012]. Former [Pak] foreign minister Goher Ayub Khan, Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability... -Fazl's (JUI-F) central leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, and [Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa] Provincial Minister for Education Qazi Muhammad Asad were also present [at] the occasion. "Lord Nazir said that the bounty placed on Saeed was an insult to all Moslems, and [that] by [offering it], President B.O. has challenged the dignity of the Moslem ummah. "'If the U.S. can announce a reward of $10 million for the [capture] of Hafiz Saeed ...founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba and its false-mustache offshoot Jamaat-ud-Dawa. The United Nations declared the JuD a terrorist organization in 2008 and Hafiz Saeed a terrorist as its leader. Hafiz, JuD and LeT are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Pak intel apparatus, so that amounted to squat... , I can announce a bounty of £10 million [for the capture of] President B.O. and his predecessor, George Bush,' Lord Nazir said, adding that he would arrange the bounty at any cost, even if he was left with the option of selling all his personal assets, including his house..."   Endotes: [1] Speaking at another event, held on April 10, 2012, in the presence of Punjab University Vice Chancellor Dr. Mujahid Kamran, Lord Ahmed said that the U.S. had put up the bounty for Hafiz Muhammad Saeed in order "to keep Pakistain in [a] defensive position." He also warned of the likelihood of a U.S. or Israeli attack on Iran, noting that the governments of the U.S. and other countries, facing an election year, could use such an attack to win votes and distract public opinion from the dire financial situation they were facing. In the case of such an attack, he called on the Moslem ummah to unite against the attacking powers. Business Recorder (Pakistain), April 11, 2012. [2] The Express Tribune (Pakistan), April 15, 2012. The original English has been lightly edited for clarity. John Hinderaker of Powerline adds: Lord Nazir Ahmed is a Baron and was appointed a Life Peer by Tony Blair in 1998. He is a member of the Labour Party.

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India-Pakistan

JUI-F Set To Join 'MMA' For General Elections

2012-03-31

* Party says will not join PPP in coming elections ISLAMABAD: As political activities in the country gain momentum as part of preparations for the next general elections, Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam ...Assembly of Islamic Clergy, or JUI, is a Pak Deobandi (Hanafi) political party. There are two main branches, one led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman, and one led by Maulana Samiul Haq. Fazl is active in Pak politix and Sami spends more time running his madrassah. Both branches sponsor branches of the Taliban, though with plausible deniability... Fazl (JUI-F) is all set to enter an MMA-style religious camp to fetch electoral sympathies during the next general elections, clearly saying it would not be with Pakistain People's Party (PPP) in the days to come. Sources close to the PPP-JUI-F nexus told Daily Times that some top players of the PPP tried to convince JUI chief Fazalur Rehman to forge an election alliance before the polls. The JUI-F chief categorically rejected the offer, expressing his clear stance to go with religious parties during the next general elections by entering into either in an MMA-type alliance or at least have settlement with right-wing religious forces, the sources said. The sources privy to the whole diplomacy further claimed that the top brass of the PPP desired to have an electoral alliance with the JUI-F, as they had established a formula of seat adjustment with Pakistain Moslem League-Quaid (PML-Q), but the situation turned against the expectations of the PPP as JUI-F leaders wanted electoral alliance with other religious parties, including the Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... (JI). Sources, however, said both parties (JUI-F and JI) are on negotiating table to finalise the possible electoral alliance. On the other hand, MQM also rejected PPP's offer to join hands in next general elections, as a top leader of the MQM said they believed in political alliances after elections, not before elections. JUI-F central leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed on several occasions has underlined the need of early revival of 'MMA' because of changing political conditions in the country, which suggests JUI-F would go for an 'MMA' in near future. In this regard, both the JUI-F and JI have brought flexibility in their previous stance. Earlier, JI had struck the condition that 'MMA' could not be revived unless JUI-F quit the PPP-led coalition government, while Maulana Fazlur Rehman Deobandi holy man, known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... linked the JI's return to the fold of 'MMA' to its seeking 'apology over causing harm to unity of religious parties'. The sources further said the former coalition partners of 'MMA' have increased contacts, to make functional their religio-political group in national politics. The JUI-F was part of the MMA that garnered 58 of the 342 seats in parliament, a provincial majority in NWFP and provincial minorities in Sindh and Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... . MMA later collapsed in 2005 amid differences among participant political parties. In the 2008 general election, only the JUI-F participated because the other major component party of the MMA, the JI, boycotted the elections on issues regarding the eligibility of former president Pervez Perv Musharraf ... former dictator of Pakistain, who was less dictatorial and corrupt than any Pak civilian government to date ... and restoration of the judiciary. However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... unlike the 2002 elections, when the MMA swept national and provincial assemblies, in 2008 the JUI-F won seven general seats in the National Assembly, which got them one additional seat on women's reserved seats, raising the total to 8 in the Lower House.

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India-Pakistan

Javed Hashmi, Hafiz Hussain, Mian Aslam sent to Adiala Jail

2007-09-23

Police launched a massive crackdown on All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) leaders and workers in Rawalpindi and Islamabad early on Sunday and arrested Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Acting President Javed Hashmi, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmed and the MMA’s parliamentarian Mian Muhammad Aslam under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance. The raids were made to stop the movement from demonstrating outside the Supreme Court on Monday and Tuesday and then outside the Election Commission on September 29 when the nomination papers of the presidential candidates would be scrutinised. A list given to the police by the government also includes the names of anti-government religious leaders. “The list also includes the names of those who are dead or are outside Pakistan,” a police officer said, adding that orders were also issued for the arrest of PML-N Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal and Ch Nisar Ali Khan. Hashmi and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed were arrested from parliament lodges, while Mian Aslam was arrested from his residence in F-8 and sent to Adiala Jail for 30 days under Section 3 of the MPO. Raids for arrest of Qazi, Asfandyar, Imran: Raids were also made for the arrest of MMA President Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Awami National Party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan. Police also searched the rooms of MMA leader Liaquat Baloch and PML-N leader Tehmina Daultana. They both were not present there.

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Olde Tyme Religion

Usual protests flare over Rushdie honour

2007-06-21

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, the mousepad, the collector DVD. Angry protesters have taken to the streets in Pakistan and Malaysia to denounce a British knighthood for author Salman Rushdie, whose novel the "Satanic Verses" outraged Muslims worldwide. Margaret Beckett, Britain's foreign secretary, said on Wednesday that Britain was "sorry" people were upset about the knighthood. However, she insisted it was awarded to Rushdie for his literary achievements. Beckett said: "Obviously we are sorry for people who have taken very much to heart this honour, which is after all for a lifelong body of literary work." Afghanistan's Taliban on Wednesday also condemned the knighthood, which Britain's Queen Elizabeth awarded to the Indian-born British writer last week. A Taliban spokesman said: "We ... consider this another major affront to Islam by the infidels." Pakistani anger There was widespread condemnation for the knighting in Pakistan and several leaders called for Rushdie's death, while protesters demanded Britain withdraw the honour. Benazir Bhutto, former Pakistani prime minister, condemned remarks by Ijaz-ul Haq, the religious affairs minister, who had said a suicide attack against Salman Rushdie was justified. Haq had said that the Rushdie honour merited such an attack by Muslims but later withdrew the comment insisting that he meant to say that the award to Rushdie would foster extremism. Bhutto said that although the knighthood awarded to Rushdie had outraged the sentiments of Muslims, Islam did not permit murder and nor did the law allow suicide killings for those with divergent views. 'Fostering extremism' Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, a Pakistan opposition leader, at a rally of about 200 women outside parliament in the capital Islamabad, said: "This is an attempt to provoke Muslims all over the world." Rushdie's book, "Satanic Verses", prompted protests, some violent, by Muslims in many countries after it was published in 1988. Muslims say the novel blasphemed against the Prophet Mohammad and ridiculed the Koran and events in early Muslim history. Robert Brinkley, British high commissioner to Pakistan, said on Monday that Rushdie's knighthood was a reflection of his contribution to literature and was not intended as an insult to Islam or the Prophet Mohammad. But on Tuesday, Pakistan summoned Brinkley to protest against the award. Britain's envoy in Iran was also summoned. In Islamabad, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, a religious leader at the capital's Red Mosque, said in a statement that Rushdie should be killed. He said: "He is condemned to death. Whosoever is in position to kill him, he should do so." In the central Pakistani city of Multan, about 300 people chanted "Death to the British Queen" and "Death to Rushdie". They burned a British flag and effigies of Queen Elizabeth and Rushdie. Several hundred people including members of the provincial parliament protested in the Pakistani city of Lahore. The Pakistani parliament had adopted a resolution on Monday deploring the knighthood. UK 'values' John Reid, Britain's home secretary, reiterated on Wednesday that the government stood by the award. He said: "I think we have a set of values that accrues people honours for their contribution to literature even when they don't agree with our point of view. That's our way and that's what we stand by." In Malaysia, about 30 protesters demonstrated outside the British embassy in Kuala Lumpur chanting "Destroy Salman Rushdie" and "Destroy Britain". The late Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a death warrant against Rushdie in 1989, forcing him into hiding for nine years. In 1998 Iran's government formally distanced itself from the death warrant, but some groups in Iran have regularly renewed the call for his death, saying Khomeini's ruling is irrevocable.

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India-Pakistan

'Non-Muslim can hold CJP office'

2007-03-23

Constitutional experts, politicians and a minority leaders on Thursday blasted the claims of some clerics that a non-Muslim cannot hold the office of chief justice in Pakistan, saying that the Constitution does not restrict any such appointment. Qari Hanif Jalandhry, central leader of Ittehad Tanzimat-e-Madrassa-e-Dinya (ITMD), has said that Pakistan is an Islamic country hence a non-Muslim cannot hold the office of chief justice. “There is no such example in Muslim history or in any Muslim country,” he said. Jalandhry said this was the first time in the history of the country that such an issue had risen. Asked to comment on Article 180(b) of the Constitution, which says that “the president shall appoint the most senior of the other judges of the Supreme Court to act as chief justice of Pakistan”, Jalandhry said parliament should amend the Constitution. Senior constitutional expert Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan rejected Jalandhry’s view and said there was no constitutional provision barring a non-Muslim from becoming the chief justice of the country. “The Supreme Court is not the Federal Shariat Court, though there is a Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court comprising Muslim judges,” he said. However, he said it was not mandatory for a non-Muslim chief justice or a judge to be part of the Shariat Appellate Bench. “A non-Muslim cannot be declared ineligible to become chief justice on the basis of religion,” Aitzaz said. “Justice Bhagwandas cannot become a member of the Shariat Appellate Bench even if he becomes chief justice.” Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, deputy parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), said that according to the Constitution, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was still chief justice of Pakistan. “By raising this issue of whether or not a non-Muslim can become the chief justice of the country, the government is confusing the nation,” he said, but added that a non-Muslim can become the chief justice of the country. Raja Zafarul Haq, chairman of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), said there was no constitutional bar on a non-Muslim becoming the chief justice. “According to my opinion, there is nothing wrong if a non-Muslim becomes the chief justice of Pakistan,” he said, adding however, that this was not the right time to discuss such issues. Commenting on the statements of Maulana Samiul Haq and religious organisations that a non-Muslim cannot become chief justice in an Islamic country like Pakistan, All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) Chairman Shahbaz Bhatti said that there was no constitutional bar on a non-Muslim to become chief justice of Pakistan. He said one of the most outstanding and dynamic judges in the history of Pakistan was Justice AR Cornelius, a Christian, who headed the apex court from 1960 to 1968. Bhatti referred to Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s address to the first Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, in which he had clearly said that Pakistan would not be a theocratic state and religion had nothing to do with the business of the state.

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India-Pakistan

Suicide attacks are un-Islamic: clerics

2007-02-24

After the recent wave of suicide attacks in Pakistan, a Karachi-based Urdu daily newspaper conducted a survey seeking fatwas (religious decrees) on suicide attacks, SouthAsiaNet, an online academic magazine reported on Friday. In the survey, clerics from all schools of thought have declared suicide attacks un-Islamic and forbidden them under the Shariah. They said that killing a non-Muslim without a legitimate cause was against the Islamic way of life. Maulana Ameer Hamza of the Jamaatud Dawa said that a suicide attack was, beyond doubt, an act of terrorism. He said that someone who kills himself to kill others also “recounts for the sins of those who (he has) killed”. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s Hafiz Hussain Ahmed said that since Islam did not permit the killing of innocent people, it was necessary to figure out why suicide bombers went to such extremes. He said that since there was no way of effectively stopping a suicide bomber, the only solution was to eliminate the causes which gave rise to such resentment that people resorted to suicidal tactics. He added that no final fatwa could be given on the issue, since a suicidal defence strategy was employed by the Pakistani Army to repel an Indian attack during the 1965 war. However, he said that an Islamic war by an Islamic state could not be compared to the recent wave of suicide attacks that targeted innocent civilians. He added that no final fatwa could be given on the issue, since a suicidal defence strategy was employed by the Pakistani Army at Chawinda to repel an Indian attack during the 1965 war, a strategy that was approved by the religious scholars of the time. However, he said that an Islamic war by an Islamic state could not be compared to the recent wave of suicide attacks that targeted innocent civilians. Former minister and Sunni cleric Dr Mehmood Ahmad Ghazi said, “a suicide attack was clearly murder and its legality was further called into question by the fact that they occurred in a Muslim state which was not occupied by infidels”. The Jamaat-e-Islami’s Dr Anis Ahmed said that “the term suicide is very notorious in itself and we need to (establish) the (reasons behind) such acts of extremism.” Determining the moral status of such suicide attacks is far too complex an issue to be sorted out by a mere ‘yes’ or ‘no’, he said. “After all,” he said, “what can a Palestinian do when his parents and children have been killed, his house demolished he has no means of earning a living any more? Should he thank those who victimized him? He inevitably turns to extreme measures then. When he is pressed against the wall, he naturally uses his body as a tool of war. These are undoubtedly extraordinary circumstances.” Allama Qamber Abbas Naqvi, president of the Shia Ulema Council, said that killing a non-Muslim without a legitimate cause was haraam (forbidden), so killing innocent Muslims would be illegal to the highest degree. He said that some elements were trying to mislead young Muslims by portraying suicide attacks as a service to Islam and bringing their country and their religion into disrepute. He said that Islam ensured that the life, property and honour of non-Muslims would be protected, so it could not sanction the killing of innocent Muslims. Other clerics quoted in the report included Sunni scholars Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman and Allama Jamil Ahmed Naeemi and Shia clerics Allama Abass Hussain, Allama Sheryar Aabidi, Allama Shehnshah Naqvi and Allama Ather Mashhadi.

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India-Pakistan

Qazi, Hafiz likely to continue NA 'boycott'

2007-02-18

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) President Qazi Hussain Ahmed and former deputy secretary general Hafiz Hussain Ahmed are likely to continue their ‘boycott’ of the National Assembly, despite the MMA general council’s decision otherwise, sources privy to the development told Daily Times. “Both leaders were present in the city recently but they did not attend the NA session though the general council had decided in favour of MMA members’ attending the proceedings after withdrawal of the earlier decision to resign en-bloc from the NA,” the sources said. “Qazi being the president of the MMA was not willing to attend the NA session because he was a staunch supporter of resignations, but he accepted the majority decision of the alliance’s general council just to keep the MMA intact,” the sources said. They said that Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, who still holds the portfolio of deputy parliamentary leader of the MMA, was also not willing to attend the session because he had publicly announced his resignation after the passage of the Women’s Protection Bill (WPB). The sources said that a cold war between the two top leaders of the MMA – Qazi and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the alliance’s secretary general – was still on over the issue of resignations. A top Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader said that it would be very hard for Qazi to attend the NA session because he believed that the MMA had made a public commitment to resign from the NA if the WPB were passed. On the other hand, the sources said that problems between Hafiz and the Balochistan chapter of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) still persisted, despite reports that the issues were settled on during a meeting between Maulana Fazl and Hafiz in the presence of Qari Hanif Jullandhry at Mina during Haj. The confrontation began after Hafiz announced his resignation, which the Maulana Muhammad Khan Sheerani-led Balochistan chapter of the JUI-F considered a violation of the party discipline. The central executive committee of the party, in a hurriedly called meeting, decided to issue a show cause notice to Hafiz. The sources said that the issue was apparently resolved during the Mina meeting, but the Balochistan JUI-F did not support Hafiz in the MMA’s internal elections and replaced him with Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri as deputy secretary general of the alliance.

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