The Punjab government has de-notified Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi as the Chairman of the Muttahida Ulema Board.
According to the details, Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi approved the removal of Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, who also serves as the Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council. Pertinent to mention that the rest of the Muttahida Ulema Board will remain the same.
On the other hand, as per the orders issued by Punjab Auqaf Secretary Mian Abrar Ahmed, Sahibzada Hamid Raza has been appointed as the new chairman of the Muttahida Ulema Board.
ALHAMDULILLAH pic.twitter.com/1y6vrhgCal
— Sahibzada Hamid Raza (@_SahibzadaHamid) September 19, 2022
داتا علی ہجویری رضی اللہ عنہ کے حقیقی غلام پھر سے داتا کے قدموں میں حاضر!
حاسدین سے معذرت pic.twitter.com/o5tcbiDrwY— Sahibzada Hamid Raza (@_SahibzadaHamid) September 19, 2022
Sahibzada Hamid Raza is the Chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council which is an alliance of the Islamic political and religious parties in Pakistan, representing followers of the Barelvi (Sufi) school of Sunni Islam. Sahibzada Hamid Raza was a candidate for NA-110 Faisalabad in the 2018 General elections. He received 5085 votes.
Sahibzada Hamid Raza also served as the Chairman of Punjab’s Quran Board. He was appointed in 2020 during the PTI government’s tenure. However, he resigned when PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz became the Punjab Chief Minister in May this year.
Read more: Pakistan made world’s largest Quran on display at Dubai Expo
Earlier, Sahibzada Hamid Raza met PTI Chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan and vowed to stand by PTI in its Haqeeqi Azadi movement. He also condemned the lobbying of the government against Imran Khan for religious hatred.
Tahir Ashrafi’s meeting with Punjab CM
Interestingly, Sunday, Tahir Ashrafi called on Chaudhry Parvez Elahi at his office where the Punjab CM assured that the Seerat Academy would be restored and the Muttahida Ulema Board would be activated, adding that MPhil classes would be started in the Seerat Academy.
Tahir Ashrafi stated that the services of the CM Punjab for religion would always be remembered and endorsed the decision of the government to bring the Muttahida Ulema Board Act.
الحمد لله متحده علماء بورڈ كو سياسى وذاتى مقاصد كےلے استعمال نهى هونےديا جس طرح مذهب كا استعمال سياسى مقاصد كےلے عمران خان صاحب كےخلاف غلط تها اسى طرح ديگر سياسى رهنماون كےخلاف بهى غلط هے۔ فخر هےكه اس ادراه كو عالمى سطح پر مناگيا اور تحسين هوئ
— TahirMahmoodAshrafi حافظ محمد طاهراشرفى (@TahirAshrafi) September 19, 2022
Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi is a religious cleric who was also a former Advisor to the President of Pakistan for Interior and Affairs of the Islamic World. In 2020, he was appointed as the Prime Minister’s special representative on religious harmony during Imran Khan’s tenure.
He has also been a member of the Council of Islamic Ideology from 2012 to 2015 and advisor to the home department of the Punjab government regarding religious and sectarian harmony from 2000 to 2007.
Read more: SAPM Tahir Ashrafi calls for an exemplary punishment for Mufti Aziz
Maulana Ashrafi is popular for rebuking and castigating social injustices and is a strong proponent of ending sectarian rifts and unrest within the country.