Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Nazryati


Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Nazryati is a political party in Pakistan. It was formed by Maulana Asmatullah Khan after leaving Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. It was formed as a breakaway faction of JUI in 2007 and merged again with its parent organisation i.e. JUI-F in 2016. It participated in 2008 and 2013 Pakistani general election.

Historical Background

In 2007, before the 2008 Pakistani General Elections, some key leaders from Baluchistan led by Maulana Asmatullah formed JUI-Nazryati after they developed differences with Maulana Khan Muhammad Sherani, the then provincial chief of JUI over party policies and distribution of tickets. The party was thereafter registered with ECP. later, JUI-Nazryati in alliance with Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal-Jamaat under the umbrella Muttahida Dini Mahaz fielded candidates in GE-2008. In 2008 General Election, Maulana Asmatullah, JUI-Nazryati Chief defeated Maulana Khan Muhammad Sherani, Provincial Chief JUI-F to win National Assembly seat NA-264 as an independent candidate. Though JUI-Nazryati succeeded to secure a few National Assembly and Provincial Assembly seats in 2008, it failed to secure any seat in 2013 General Elections.

Support for Taliban and Al-Qaeda

JUI-Nazryati leaders openly supported Afghan Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Hafiz Fazal Bareech and other hardcore party leaders had organised 'Martyred Mullah Dadullah Conference' in June, 2007 wherein Mullah Dadullah Mansoor, who succeeded his brother Mullah Dadullah as Taliban's military commander also addressed the crowd via a tape recording.
In 2011, after the killing of Osama Bin Laden in Operation Neptune Spear, JUI-Nazryati organised protest rallies and funeral-prayer events in Quetta and other Pashtun districts of Baluchistan.

Merger with JUI-F

Having suffered badly in 2013 General Elections, the leaders of JUI-Nazryati had negotiations with JUI-F leadership to reunite. In early 2016, Moulana Asmatullah submitted an application to ECP for cancelling the JUI-N's registration as a political party. Later, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman in a public gathering in Quetta on 25 February 2016 announced merger of the two factions. Meanwhile, Maulana Abdul Qadir Luni and some others opposed the merger claiming to "remain intact" and continue to oppose JUI-F policies.