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Ambitious cleric spotlights Pakistan sectarian - Alarabiya.net English | Front Page
The hardline Sunni Muslim cleric may have been defeated at polls five years ago, but hes confident of winning a seat in Pakistans election on Saturday, furthering his bid to oppress Shiites.
A terrorist to his enemies, a man of peace to his supporters, Maulana Ahmad Ludhianvi heads the countrys largest anti-Shiite group, which has been described as the political wing of terror
group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
He is part of a coalition led by cleric Sami
ul-Haq, nicknamed Father of the Taliban,
having been dumped by the election
frontrunners Pakistan Muslim League-N
(PML-N) in favor of his arch rivals, the
local feudal Akram family.
Sheikh Waqas Akram narrowly defeated Ludhianvi in 2008, but after being exposed for faking his degree, his father is standing in what will be a tight race between the old power of the feudals and the rising threat of sectarianism.
At the moment I can raise a voice for my
anti-Shiite mission only at a local level and from my local mosque. But when I get the microphone in the assembly, the whole nation and the whole world will listen, Ludhianvi told AFP.
His Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ)
movement denies any link to violence, despite being known as the political arm of LeJ, one of the most active terror groups in Pakistan, bent on exterminating its 20 percent Shiite minority.
LeJ claimed responsibility for the two worst bomb attacks so far this year, killing 182 in Shiite areas of southwestern city Quetta. It is also linked to Al-Qaeda. Rights groups say attacks on Shiites hit a record high in 2012.
Jhang, one of the most important towns in
central Punjab province, elects four seats
to the national assembly and is the birthplace of sectarian terror.
LeJ precursors, extremist group Sipah-e-Sahab (SSP), was founded here in 1985 and the head of ASWJ always lives in Jhang. Ludhianvi was formerly a SSP leader.
PML-N, the biggest party in the province, has long been accused of aligning with hardliners as a way of cementing their power.
But tipped to win Saturdays elections and
form a national government, Ludhianvi says they have cut him off and backed Akrams father, Sheikh Muhammad Akram.
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat has never been
our ally. We never wanted to give them tickets. It is all propaganda that they are our allies, PML-N senator Mushahidullah Khan told AFP.
The narrow streets outside Ludhianvis
home are filled with posters and graffiti
supporting him, exhorting strict Muslim
laws and denouncing Shiites.
Long bearded and soft spoken, Ludhianvi
goes nowhere without gun-toting
bodyguards clad in black shalwar kamizes.
He calls on religious groups to unite to save Pakistan as an Islamic (Sunni) republic . His supporters liken their struggle to that against Ahmadis, a minority community in 1974 declared
non-Muslim and stripped of other rights. The Akrams, who made their vast wealth in transportation, talk of a progressive, tolerant Pakistan, of the economy not sectarian hatred.
Although Maulana Azam Tariq, the then- head of SSP, won the seat in 2002 from jail, when he was assassinated a year later Sheikh Waqas Akram won the by-election.
Waqas, 39, won again in 2008. But both
victories were narrow and the constituency remains hotly contested.
Waqas claims to have survived 12 assassination attempts in the last 10 years, including four suicide attacks. He is accompanied everywhere with four to five gunmen.
There are only two types of votes in
Jhang: Sipah-e-Sahaba and anti Sipah-e-
Sahaba, Waqas told AFP at his fortress-
style home.
I still remember in the late 80s and early
90s when they were the biggest dons of this area. They used to kill people and string up their bodies on the road to give message to others. They used to extort money from everybody.
The only way to put an end to extremism
in Pakistan is to exclude these elements
from the mainstream politics and political
influences.
But the competition is tough and analysts
say it will be a close race. Zargham Abbas, 35, a former local councillor, said most sensible people support the Akram family because of their
moderate view.
There has been peace in this town for the last 10 years, he said. People want a balanced society and to get rid of fanaticism.
But grocer Muhammad Nadeem Qasmi,
43, is a die-hard Ludhianvi supporter.
The agenda of the ASWJ to bring Islamic
legislation to defend the dignity of Islamic
figures is quite justified. We are hoping
for victory, he said.
The hardline Sunni Muslim cleric may have been defeated at polls five years ago, but hes confident of winning a seat in Pakistans election on Saturday, furthering his bid to oppress Shiites.
A terrorist to his enemies, a man of peace to his supporters, Maulana Ahmad Ludhianvi heads the countrys largest anti-Shiite group, which has been described as the political wing of terror
group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi.
He is part of a coalition led by cleric Sami
ul-Haq, nicknamed Father of the Taliban,
having been dumped by the election
frontrunners Pakistan Muslim League-N
(PML-N) in favor of his arch rivals, the
local feudal Akram family.
Sheikh Waqas Akram narrowly defeated Ludhianvi in 2008, but after being exposed for faking his degree, his father is standing in what will be a tight race between the old power of the feudals and the rising threat of sectarianism.
At the moment I can raise a voice for my
anti-Shiite mission only at a local level and from my local mosque. But when I get the microphone in the assembly, the whole nation and the whole world will listen, Ludhianvi told AFP.
His Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ)
movement denies any link to violence, despite being known as the political arm of LeJ, one of the most active terror groups in Pakistan, bent on exterminating its 20 percent Shiite minority.
LeJ claimed responsibility for the two worst bomb attacks so far this year, killing 182 in Shiite areas of southwestern city Quetta. It is also linked to Al-Qaeda. Rights groups say attacks on Shiites hit a record high in 2012.
Jhang, one of the most important towns in
central Punjab province, elects four seats
to the national assembly and is the birthplace of sectarian terror.
LeJ precursors, extremist group Sipah-e-Sahab (SSP), was founded here in 1985 and the head of ASWJ always lives in Jhang. Ludhianvi was formerly a SSP leader.
PML-N, the biggest party in the province, has long been accused of aligning with hardliners as a way of cementing their power.
But tipped to win Saturdays elections and
form a national government, Ludhianvi says they have cut him off and backed Akrams father, Sheikh Muhammad Akram.
Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat has never been
our ally. We never wanted to give them tickets. It is all propaganda that they are our allies, PML-N senator Mushahidullah Khan told AFP.
The narrow streets outside Ludhianvis
home are filled with posters and graffiti
supporting him, exhorting strict Muslim
laws and denouncing Shiites.
Long bearded and soft spoken, Ludhianvi
goes nowhere without gun-toting
bodyguards clad in black shalwar kamizes.
He calls on religious groups to unite to save Pakistan as an Islamic (Sunni) republic . His supporters liken their struggle to that against Ahmadis, a minority community in 1974 declared
non-Muslim and stripped of other rights. The Akrams, who made their vast wealth in transportation, talk of a progressive, tolerant Pakistan, of the economy not sectarian hatred.
Although Maulana Azam Tariq, the then- head of SSP, won the seat in 2002 from jail, when he was assassinated a year later Sheikh Waqas Akram won the by-election.
Waqas, 39, won again in 2008. But both
victories were narrow and the constituency remains hotly contested.
Waqas claims to have survived 12 assassination attempts in the last 10 years, including four suicide attacks. He is accompanied everywhere with four to five gunmen.
There are only two types of votes in
Jhang: Sipah-e-Sahaba and anti Sipah-e-
Sahaba, Waqas told AFP at his fortress-
style home.
I still remember in the late 80s and early
90s when they were the biggest dons of this area. They used to kill people and string up their bodies on the road to give message to others. They used to extort money from everybody.
The only way to put an end to extremism
in Pakistan is to exclude these elements
from the mainstream politics and political
influences.
But the competition is tough and analysts
say it will be a close race. Zargham Abbas, 35, a former local councillor, said most sensible people support the Akram family because of their
moderate view.
There has been peace in this town for the last 10 years, he said. People want a balanced society and to get rid of fanaticism.
But grocer Muhammad Nadeem Qasmi,
43, is a die-hard Ludhianvi supporter.
The agenda of the ASWJ to bring Islamic
legislation to defend the dignity of Islamic
figures is quite justified. We are hoping
for victory, he said.
