Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi

Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi (Urdu: محمد اَحْمَد لدھیانوی) is the current Sarparast-e-Aala of the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama'at (ASWJ), a proscribed group in Pakistan.[1][2] Ludhianvi became the head of ASWJ (then knows as Sipah-e Sahaba) upon the death of the previous chief, Ali Sher Haidri, in a 2009 ambush.[3] Ludhianvi is also the Secretary General of Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC).

Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi
محمد اَحْمَد لدھیانوی
Head of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
Assumed office
2009
Preceded byAli Sher Hyderi
Personal details
Born (1950-11-10) 10 November 1950
Kamalia, Punjab, Pakistan
CitizenshipPakistani
Political party Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat
Residence(s)Jhang and Kamalia

Ludhianvi is on the Pakistani legislature's list of persons with suspected ties to terrorism.[4] However, he is considered as a moderate leader by the government officials compared to the other leaders of ASWJ, while he is also commonly referred as "Safer-e-Aman" (ambassador of peace) by his followers.[5] Ludhianvi has stated that he supports sectarian harmony, as long as it does not impede his group's goal of making Pakistan a Sunni Islamic state and declaring Shia Muslims a minority, like the Ahmadiyya in Pakistan.[6]

Family

Ludhianvi is the son of Hafiz Sadrud Din; who migrated in 1947 from Ludhiana district of Indian Punjab to Kamalia city of Pakistani Punjab. He is descendant of a great Arain freedom fighter Maulana Abdul Qadir Ludhianvi. During the migration, his eldest brother died due to ailment; he was buried somewhere in the Indian Punjab.[2]

Political career

He participated in election from Constituency NA-89 Jhang (Jhang-IV), in 2008 and 2013. He got 45,216 votes in 2008 while 71,598 votes in 2013. On 9 April 2014, he was declared as winner by an election tribunal, as his winning opponent Sheikh Mohammad Akram had been disqualified, but the decision was later cancelled by the Supreme Court of Pakistan when Akram's disqualification was waived.[7][8]

In 2016, Ludhianvi was restricted to participate in bypoll election from PP-78 (Jhang) but in later he was allowed to participate by the Lahore High Court.[9] However, he decided not to contest the election and Masroor Nawaz Jhangvi (a member of his organization) was elected as the member of Punjab Assembly.

References
  1. Ludhianvi hopeful of ASWJ’s ‘unbanning’ Archived 2018-02-22 at the Wayback Machine. Dawn (Pakistan)
  2. Azaz, Syed. "Ludhianvi bitter about Sharifs". The News (Pakistan). Archived from the original on 2 November 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  3. Pentagon's South Asia Defence and Strategic Year Book. Panchsheel. 2010. p. 357. ISBN 978-81-8274-444-8. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018.
  4. "Pakistan clerics issue fatwa against suicide bombing". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018.
  5. Rafiq, Ali. Sunni Deobandi-Shi'i Sectarian Violence in Pakistan. Middle East Institute. Archived from the original on 29 July 2016.
  6. Muhammad Moj (1 March 2015). The Deoband Madrassah Movement: Countercultural Trends and Tendencies. Anthem Press. pp. 180–. ISBN 978-1-78308-446-3. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018.
  7. "SC declares Sheikh Mohammad Akram as returned candidate from NA-89 Jhang". Dawn (Pakistan). Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  8. "Ludhianvi vows to go to assemblies, despite losing elections". The Tribune (Pakistan). Archived from the original on 23 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  9. "ASWJ chief allowed to contest Jhang by-election". Dawn (Pakistan). Archived from the original on 31 March 2017.
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