Ousted JUI-F leader starts approaching old guard

Sherani offers Zuhr prayers at Jamia Madnia, meets JUI leaders in Lahore

Difficulties seem to be mounting for Maulana Fazlur Rehman as ousted JUI-F leader Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani has started approaching the party old guard in Punjab.

The JUI-F disciplinary committee on December 25 took action and expelled four senior party leaders Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan and Maulana Shujaul Mulk for “deviating from the party policy” and “creating party within the party”.

Sherani had reiterated that he and other disgruntled leaders had always been a member of the JUI-P – Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Pakistan – and not the JUI-F. He also announced revival of the JUI-P.

"We have never been a part of the JUI-F. All of us have been members of the JUI-P – a party which we inherited from our great leaders. The JUI-P is the name of the party according to its constitution,” Sherani had said.

Maulana Sherani, who is also the former chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology, has now set up camp in Lahore and started contacting old and like-minded JUI leaders.

According to details, Sherani visited various cities of Punjab and phoned Mian Rasheed, the head of Jamia Madnia in Lahore, and said that he wanted to join him.

Mian Rasheed welcomed Sherani’s phone call and remarked that the doors of Jamia Madnia were “open” for him. Jamia Madnia is the central office of JUI, which is headed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

Sherani reached Lahore at a time when Fazl was also present in the city.

He offered Zuhr prayers at Jamia Madnia and later addressed the media briefly. He also met JUI leaders at Yateemkhana Chowk and spoke to the workers.

The JUI does not have a stronghold in Punjab and reportedly several of its workers are “angry” with Fazl.

Fazl continues to project that there is no rift in the party but maintains that JUI is undergoing a process of “cleansing”.