Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi

Allama Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi (Urdu: آیت اللہ علامہ سید ساجد علی نقوی‎) is an Islamic scholar from Rawalpindi, Pakistan. He is also the head of the one of the largest Shiite organizations of Pakistan namely Tehrik-e-Jafaria (T.J.P). After a ban by Musharraf regime, it continues to work under the name of Tehrik-e-Islami. Again the Tehrik-e-Islami was banned and a new party was formed with the name Shia Ulema Council. Currently he is not only the leader of Islami Tehrik but, he is the designated leader of the Pakistani Shiite community community of Pakistan by the Supreme leader Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei. Naqvi also heads the religious wing of Tehrik-e-Islami i.e the Shia Ulema Council. He is often called as the representative of Wilayat-e-Faqih in Pakistan, as he religiously represents the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatullah Ali Khamenei in the country. After the murder of Arif Hussain Hussaini in 1988, he was elected as the head of the Tehrik-e-Jafaria by the Supreme Council of Shiite clergy of Pakistan.^[1]

Musharraf era

The dictator, General Pervez Musharraf arrested Naqvi in charge against the murder of a radical group's leader in 2004. Thousands of demonstrators have warned the government that they would besiege the federal capital if the government does not release President of the Islami Tehrik, Ayatollah Allama Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi within the next few weeks. The demonstrators staged a rally in Islamabad on Sunday to protest the detention of Ayatullah Allama Naqvi and the killing of Shiite leaders. Ghulam Hassan Turabi, president of a council of religious scholars in Sindh province, told the rally that the Pakistani Shiite community had been targeted in the wake of a "well-planned conspiracy". He said,

General Musharraf's government was trying to malign the image of the Shiite community, by declaring them miscreants and hardliners, especially in the war against terror.^[2]

However, the chief of defunct Tehrik-e-Islami Pakistan (T.I.P), Ayatullah Allama Syed Sajid Ali Naqvi was released on bail from the Adiala Jail on Saturday. The Golra Police arrested him on November 16, in connection with the Azam Tariq murder case. After rejection of his bail petition in a special anti-terrorist court, Mr. Naqvi's lawyers went to the high court, which ordered his release. Naqvi's sons and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal leaders received him and he was taken to his home under tight security.^[3]

See also

• Arif Hussain Hussaini
• Talib Jauhari
• Shia Ulema Council
• Tehrik-e-Jafaria

References