Sunni Ittehad Council

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Sunni Ittehad Council
سنی اتحاد کونسل
AbbreviationSIC
ChairmanSahibzada Hamid Raza
FounderMuhammad Fazal Karim
Founded2009
Ideology
Political positionRight-wing[2]
ReligionSunni Islam (Barelvi)
National affiliationDifa-e-Pakistan Concil[3]
Senate
0 / 100
National Assembly
83 / 336
Balochistan Assembly
0 / 65
KPK Assembly
87 / 145
Sindh Assembly
9 / 168
Punjab Assembly
113 / 371
Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly
0 / 33
Azad Kashmir Assembly
0 / 49
Election symbol
Horse
Party flag
Website
https://twitter.com/_SICPak

The Sunni Ittehad Council (Ittehad is Urdu for "unity", from al-Ittihad meaning "united" or "jointly" in Arabic) is a political alliance of Islamic political and Barelvi religious parties in Pakistan which represents followers of the school of Sunni Islam.[4]

The party was formed in 2009. The current chairman of the main 'M' faction is Sayyid Mahfooz Shah Sahib Mashadi and member parties of the Sunni Ittehad Council include the Aalmi Tanzeem Ahle Sunnat of Pir Afzal Qadri (of Gujrat) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan. The Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) was founded by Mohammad Abdul Ghafoor Hazarvi.[5] The breakaway 'F' faction that was established by Sahibzada Fazl Kareem and Haji Hanif Tayyab is now under the leadership of Hamid Raza.[6]

After the 2024 election, the winning independent candidates supported by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf joined this party at Imran Khan's behest.[7]

Actions[edit]

In December 2011, the Sunni Ittehad Council launched a countrywide "Difa-e-Pakistan campaign" to create public awareness against NATO attacks on Pakistan’s border military posts in Mohmand Agency, and decided to hold a "Condemn America Day" on the 23rd of that month. Those NATO attacks killed over two dozens Pakistani soldiers.[3]

With Sunni Ittehad Council's chairman, Sahibzada Fazal Kareem presiding, this decision was taken at an 'All Parties Confereence' of many parties of Ahle Sunnat school of thought.[3]

The US government website Usaspending.gov shows that the Sunni Ittehad Council received $36,607 from Washington in 2009. Sunni Ittehad Council had organized anti-Taliban rallies in Pakistan in the past. But the council later demonstrated in support of Mumtaz Qadri who killed the liberal politician Salman Taseer for his criticism of anti-blasphemy laws in Pakistan.[4] According to a Hudson Institute report, "A few days after the assassination, leading religious groups led a demonstration of over fifty thousand people in Karachi in support of the blasphemy law. During the rally, Qadri was lionized as a Muslim hero, while rally leaders sternly warned the crowds against mourning Taseer, whom they claimed had deviated from Islam."[8]

In September 2011, the Council reacted to rumors that the United States might invade Pakistan in an attempt to put down terrorist networks in the country. The Council issued a fatwa stating that jihad against the US would become obligatory, were the country to encroach upon Pakistani soil, and urged the Pakistani government to prepare the nation for a holy war "in the way of God."[8]

On 12 October 2012, a group of 50 Islamic clerics in Pakistan issued a fatwā against the Taliban gunmen who tried to kill Malala Yousafzai. Islamic scholars from the Sunni Ittehad Council publicly denounced attempts by the Pakistani Taliban to mount religious justifications for the shooting of Yousafzai and two of her classmates.[9]

On 19 February 2024, PTI leader Gohar Ali Khan announced that its party-backed independent candidates in the 2024 general election, would join Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) as part of their parliamentary strategy.[10]

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) submitted on 22 February the joining certificates of independent members aligning with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). According to details provided by the PTI Secretariat, a total of 86 independent members have pledged allegiance to the Sunni Ittehad Council for the National Assembly. Simultaneously, certificates of 105 members of the SIC for the Punjab Assembly and 85 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have been submitted. Moreover, the joining certificates of 9 independent members of the Sindh Assembly have also been presented to the Election Commission, further solidifying the SIC's presence in key legislative bodies.[11]

Division[edit]

Due to some political divisions, the Sunni Ittehad Council broke into two. One faction, led by Sayyid Muhammad Mahfooz Shah Sahib of Bhikki Shareef, declared that Sahibzada Fazal e Kareem and Haji Hanif Tayyab had been removed from their positions due to attempting to create an alliance with the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) without the prior permission of the member parties of the Sunni Ittehad Council, along with a host of other allegations.[12]

Sahibzada Fazal Kareem therefore established one group Sunni Ittehad Council-F while Sayyid Mahfzooz Shah made another group called Sunni Ittehad Council (Mashadi). Fazal Kareem later died and the leadership of the Sunni Ittehad Council (F) was given to Sahibzada Hamid Raza.[6]

Ideology[edit]

As the Sunni Ittehad Council is an alliance of several religious parties, it follows Right-wing politics, and advocates for the involvement of religion in politics.[13] The party follows the Sunni denomination of Islam, and as Sunni parties do, the SIC claims to preach for the teachings of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad to be implemented, mostly to the Pakistani government.[14] Although the party follows the Barelvi and Sunni school of thought of Islam,[5] it has joined hands with parties of other denominations of Islam, most recently with the Shia party, the Majlis Wahadat-e-Muslimeen, under mediation by the SIC’s ally, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.[15]

The party has also openly criticized both the Taliban and the American military involvement in Pakistan,[1][4][5][16] while also heavily participating in Anti-terrorism efforts.[17][16]

Following the 2022-2023 political unrest in Pakistan, the Sunni Ittehad Council voiced support for Imran Khan and the PTI. The SIC is heavily involved in supporting Imran Khan especially after the 2024 Pakistani general election.[7][13][18]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Dawn.com (12 January 2012). "US let down by Sunni Ittehad". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  2. ^ Dawn.com (19 February 2024). "PTI-backed independents to join Sunni Ittehad Council: Barrister Gohar". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Sunni Ittehad Council to launch Difa-e-Pakistan drive". The News International (newspaper). 15 December 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  4. ^ a b c US aided Pakistan group which supported extremists Dawn (newspaper), Published 11 January 2012, Retrieved 11 December 2018
  5. ^ a b c Khan, Aarish Ullah (2011). Sunni Ittehad Council: The Strengths and Limitations of Barelvi Activism Against Terrorism.
  6. ^ a b Sunni Ittehad Council accepts Taliban challenge of debate Dunya TV News website, Updated 13 November 2013, Retrieved 12 December 2018
  7. ^ a b "Sunni Ittehad Council moves ECP for allocation of reserved seats". Pakistan today. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b Muhammad Ismail Khan. "The Assertion of Barelvi Extremism". Hudson Institute. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  9. ^ Jon Boone (12 October 2012). "Malala Yousafzai: 'fatwa' issued against gunmen". The Guardian (newspaper). Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  10. ^ "PTI strikes deal as successful independents to join Sunni Ittehad Council". Samaa TV. SAMAA WEB DESK. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  11. ^ Zahid, Muhammad (22 February 2024). "Sunni Ittehad Council not allotted reserved seats in Punjab, Sindh". BOL News. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  12. ^ Khalid Hasnain and Muhammad Saleem (28 November 2012). "Alliance with PML-Q triggers rift in Sunni Ittehad". Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved 12 December 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Independent candidates to join rightwing Sunni Ittehad Council: Imran's PTI". 20 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Sunni Islam - Oxford Islamic Studies Online". web.archive.org. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Pakistan: Imran Khan's PTI-backed candidates to join Sunni Ittehad Council, vows to form govt". www.indiatvnews.com. India TV News. 19 February 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  16. ^ a b APP (16 October 2012). "Sunni Ittehad Council condemns Malala attack, urges crackdown on terrorists". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  17. ^ Dawn.com (5 February 2013). "Sunni Ittehad Council issue fatwa against terrorism". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Pakistan's Imran Khan-backed candidates to join Sunni party -interim party chief". Reuters. 19 February 2024.

External links[edit]