Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani (
Pashto
Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...
/) is a
Pakistani
Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...
Deobandi
The Deobandi movement or Deobandism is a revivalist movement within Sunni Islam that adheres to the Hanafi school of jurisprudence. It was formed in the late 19th century around the Darul Uloom Madrassa in Deoband, India, from which the nam ...
religious cleric and politician who established
Rabita Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam the breakway faction of
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F)
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan also known the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam or simply as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) (; ; JUI (F)) is an Islamic fundamentalist political party in Pakistan. Established as the ''Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam'' in 1945, it is th ...
over rifts with (JUI-F) leader
Fazal-ur-Rehman. He had been a member of the
National Assembly of Pakistan
The National Assembly of Pakistan, also referred to as ''Aiwān-ē-Zairīñ'', is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, with the upper house being the Senate of Pakistan, Senate. As of 2023, the National Assem ...
, between 1988 and May 2018. He was the Chairman of the influential
Council of Islamic Ideology
Council of Islamic Ideology (CII; () is a constitutional body of Pakistan, responsible for giving legal advice on Islamic issues to the government and the Parliament.
This body was founded in 1962 under the government of Ayub Khan.
Functions ...
from 2010 to 2016.
Early life and education
He was born in 1948/1951 into a
Pashtun
Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...
family of the
Shirani tribe in
Zhob
Zhob (; ), formerly known as Fort Sandeman is a city and district headquarters of the Zhob District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Zhob is located on the banks of the Zhob river. It lies 337 kilometres away from Quetta, the capital ...
,
Balochistan
Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...
.
His father Malik Masoom Khan was one of the
sardars
Sardar, also spelled as Sardaar (, , 'commander', literally 'headmaster'), is a title of royalty and nobility that was originally used to denote princes, noblemen, chiefs, kings and other aristocrats. It has also been used to denote a chief ...
or leaders of the tribe who also used to deliver
sermons
A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. E ...
at the local
Jama Masjid
A congregational mosque or Friday mosque (, ''masjid jāmi‘'', or simply: , ''jāmi‘''; ), or sometimes great mosque or grand mosque (, ''jāmi‘ kabir''; ), is a mosque for hosting the Friday noon prayers known as ''jumu'ah''.See:
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, and following his father's wishes, after completing his early education he studied in many
Islamic seminaries, including Madrasa Matta al Ulum, the Madrasa of Maulana Abdur Rahim, the Madrasa
Darul Ulum Lakki Marwat
Lakki Marwat or Lakki (Urdu and ) is the headquarters of Lakki Marwat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Lakki Marwat has become List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, one of the fastest growing cities in Khyber P ...
, the Madrasa Waqia Nar of Malik Mahabat, the Madrasa Siraj ul Uloom
Bannu
Bannu (, ), also called Bani Gul or Bani (, ) is a city located on the Kurram River in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the capital of Bannu Division. Bannu's residents are primarily members of the Banuchi tribe and speak Banuch ...
and the Madrasa Qasim ul Uloom.
In 1961 he was involved in a tribal feud.
His early political and religious influences were
Mufti Mehmood and
Maulana Abdullah Darkhawasti.
Political career
He was active in the
Khatme Nabuwwat movement
against the
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya, officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ), is an Islamic messianic movement originating in British India in the late 19th century. It was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), who said he had been divinely appointed a ...
under
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979) was a Pakistani barrister and politician who served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan from 19 ...
and was later jailed under General
Zia-ul-Haq
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (12 August 192417 August 1988) was a Pakistani military officer and statesman who served as the sixth president of Pakistan from 1978 until his death in an airplane crash in 1988. He also served as the second chief of ...
's martial law.
He has served as the Former District Nazim Zhob District.
He was elected to the
National Assembly of Pakistan
The National Assembly of Pakistan, also referred to as ''Aiwān-ē-Zairīñ'', is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Pakistan, with the upper house being the Senate of Pakistan, Senate. As of 2023, the National Assem ...
as a candidate of
Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F)
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan also known the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam or simply as Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) (; ; JUI (F)) is an Islamic fundamentalist political party in Pakistan. Established as the ''Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam'' in 1945, it is th ...
(JUI-F) from Constituency NA-200
Zhob
Zhob (; ), formerly known as Fort Sandeman is a city and district headquarters of the Zhob District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Zhob is located on the banks of the Zhob river. It lies 337 kilometres away from Quetta, the capital ...
in the
1988 Pakistani general election
General elections were held in Pakistan on 16 November 1988 to elect the members of the National Assembly and Senate.
The elections saw the resurgence of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) under the leadership of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's daughter, Ben ...
. He received 13,307 votes and defeated Maulvi Allah Dad, a candidate of Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (D).
He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of JUI-F from Constituency NA-200
Zhob
Zhob (; ), formerly known as Fort Sandeman is a city and district headquarters of the Zhob District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Zhob is located on the banks of the Zhob river. It lies 337 kilometres away from Quetta, the capital ...
in the
1990 Pakistani general election
General elections were held in Pakistan on 24 October 1990 to elect the members of the National Assembly. The elections were primarily a contest between the People's Democratic Alliance (PDA, a four party alliance led by the ruling Pakistan Pe ...
. He received 15,965 votes and defeated
Nawab Muhammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai
Nawab Ayaz Khan Jogezai (, ; born 28 January 1959) is a Pakistani politician from Northern Balochistan and is serving as the Pashtun ''Nawab''. He became Nawab after the death of ''Nawab'' Taimoor Shah Khan Jogezai. While he was still alive, ...
, a candidate of the
Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party
The Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (; ), abbreviated as PMAP or PKMAP, is a political party in Pakistan's Balochistan province. It was founded by Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who was elected as the chairman, and Sher Ali Bacha, who served as the General ...
(PKMAP).
He ran for the seat of the National Assembly as a candidate of IJM from Constituency NA-200
Zhob
Zhob (; ), formerly known as Fort Sandeman is a city and district headquarters of the Zhob District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Zhob is located on the banks of the Zhob river. It lies 337 kilometres away from Quetta, the capital ...
in the
1993 Pakistani general election
General elections were held in Pakistan on 6 October 1993 to elect the members of National Assembly. The elections took place after both the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan resigned to resolve a power struggle.
Prio ...
but was unsuccessful. He received 15,260 votes and lost the seat to Nawab Muhammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai, a candidate of the PKMAP.
He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of JUI-F from Constituency NA-200 (Zhob) in the
1997 Pakistani general election
General elections were held in Pakistan on 3 February 1997 to elect the members of National Assembly. The elections were a fierce contest between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by pre-election Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and the Pakistan Mus ...
. He received 14,679 votes and defeated Nawab Muhammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai, a candidate of the PKMAP.
He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal
The Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal (MMA; Urdu: , ) is a political alliance consisting of conservative, Islamist, Religion in Pakistan, religious, and right-wing parties of Pakistan. Naeem Siddiqui (the founder of Tehreek e Islami) proposed such a ...
(MMA) from
Constituency NA-264 (Zhob-cum-Killa Saifullah) in the
2002 Pakistani general election
General elections were held in Pakistan on 10 October 2002 to elect the 12th National Assembly and four Provincial Assemblies. The elections were held under the military government of Pervez Musharraf. The two mainstream parties, Pakistan ...
. He received 20,381 votes and defeated Nawab Muhammad Ayaz Khan Jogezai, a candidate of the PKMAP.
He ran for the seat of the National Assembly as a candidate of MMA from Constituency NA-264 (Zhob-cum-Sherani-cum-Killa Saifullah) in the
2008 Pakistani general election
General elections were held in Pakistan on 18 February 2008 to elect members of the 13th National Assembly and the four Provincial Assemblies.
On 3 November 2007 President Pervez Musharraf enacted a state of emergency; elections were initia ...
but was unsuccessful.
He received 17,066 votes and lost the seat to
Maulvi Asmatullah, an independent candidate.
He was elected to the
Senate of Pakistan
The Senate of Pakistan, Constitution of Pakistan, constitutionally the House of the Federation, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Pakistan. As of 2023, It has a maximum membership of 96, of which 92 are elected by the Member of th ...
and was made chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology with the status of federal minister in 2010
for three years. He was again made chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology in 2013.
He has served as Federal Minister for Religious Affairs.
He was re-elected to the National Assembly as a candidate of JUI-F from Constituency NA-264 (Zhob-cum-Sherani-cum-Killa Saifullah) in the
2013 Pakistani general election
General elections were held in Pakistan on Saturday 11 May 2013 to elect the members of the List of members of the 14th National Assembly of Pakistan, 14th National Assembly of Pakistan, National Assembly and the four Subdivisions of Pakistan, Pr ...
.
He received 30,870 votes and defeated Moulana Asmatullah, a candidate of
Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Nazryati.
Alliance with Imran Khan's PTI
On 13 June 2022, Sherani met with
Imran Khan
Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He was the founder of the political party Pak ...
and declared an alliance with his party, the
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is a political party in Pakistan established in 1996 by cricketer and politician Imran Khan, who served as the country's prime minister from 2018 to 2022. The party is led by Gohar Ali Khan since late 2023. ...
.
Sherani also took to
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
and said that when he asked
Fazl ur-Rehman does he have proof that
Imran Khan
Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi (born 5 October 1952) is a Pakistani politician, philanthropist, and former cricketer who served as the 19th prime minister of Pakistan from August 2018 until April 2022. He was the founder of the political party Pak ...
is a Jewish and Indian agent, Fazl responded with "it's just a political statement".
See also
*
List of Deobandis
Deobandis represent a group of scholars affiliated with the reformist Deobandi movement, which originated in the town of Darul Uloom Deoband in northern India. Founded in 1866, this movement sought to safeguard Islamic teachings amidst non-Musli ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muhammad Khan Sherani
Deobandis
Living people
Pashtun politicians
Pakistani MNAs 2013–2018
People from Zhob District
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) politicians
Pakistani MNAs 2002–2007
Pakistani MNAs 1988–1990
Pakistani MNAs 1990–1993
Pakistani MNAs 1997–1999
1938 births