Syed Muhammad Kafeel Bukhari Vice President of Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam Pakistan

LAHORE: Majlis-e-Ahrar-e-Islam Pakistan (MAIP), the Islamist party which was second most popular political party during historic Pakistan Movement and the only opposition to Muslim League after creation of Pakistan, has decided to end six decade long self-imposed political isolation and participate in the forthcoming local bodies polls and the next general elections.

All the Islamist parties are our natural allies: Kafeel Bukhari

“All the Islamist parties are our natural allies and we would join hands with all those parties working for strengthening Pakistan ideology and eradication of corruption,’ said Central vice president of Majlis Ahrar Islam Pakistan (MAIP), Syed Kafeel Shah Bukhari, while talking to The News.

Ahrar would play an active role in politics in near future: Kafeel Bukhari

MAIP was the only party which resisted the pro-British role of Qadiyanis and their conspiracies against the creation of Muslim state in subcontinent during Pakistan Movement and also waged series of protests against the appointment of known Qadiyanis at top government slots in the newly created Pakistan.

Ahrar would focus itself for public welfare and social reforms, and the party would also become a strong voice against the growing extremism and terrorism in the country: Kafeel Bukhari

Kafeel Bukhari is the grandson of Syed Ataullah Shah Bukhari, the founder of MAIP and noted Islamist leader of Pakistan movement who is known for his majestic oratory skills that could leave the crowd of thousands spell bound. Kafeel Bukhari said it had always been a difficult decision of MAIP to shun politics during the early 1950’s and there always had been strong pressure on the leadership to re-enter the political arena. He said the main reason MAIP decided to confine itself only to preaching Islam and counter anti-Islam and anti-Pakistan conspiracies by Qadiyanis was that the party was left as the only opposition party to the Muslim League in the political arena during the first few years after creation of Pakistan. “Finding alone in the field to check the ruling Muslim League from pursuing policies that were against the stated objectives of Pakistan movement was an uneasy position,” said Kafeel Bukhari, adding that, “we also wanted to allow time to the Muslim League to mend its ways and return on the right track which was chosen by its founding fathers.”
But the six decades of political isolation caused many dents in the party, foremost of them was that bulk of its leaders and workers left it to join other popular parties like JUI, JUP and PPP. “Finally, the leadership has realized that the many groups working on the political arena under the different suffixes to the name, Pakistan Muslim League, are not ready to pay any heed to the objectives of Pakistan Movement. These groups are not even aware as to why and for what objectives nearly two million lives of innocent men, women and children were sacrificed to realize the ‘dream of Pakistan where Islam would be enforced and Muslims would be free to practice Quran and Sunnah’.”

Six decades of political isolation caused many dents in the party, foremost of them was that bulk of its leaders and workers left it to join other popular parties like JUI, JUP and PPP: Kafeel Bukhari

Kafeel Bukhari said MAIP would play an active role in politics in near future, adding that “country still have the people who know about their ancestors who either worked for MAIP or supported it for the big ideals it had been adhering to during the Pakistan movement and after achieving Pakistan.” Like before, the MAIP will take up the problems of the poor and middle classes, he added. To a question, Bukhari said MAIP would not find itself short of political allies, saying all the parties working for supremacy of Islam and the constitution of Pakistan will be its natural allies. He said the country was in a dire need of such parties that could work for protecting and strengthening 1973 constitution since it guaranteed the security of country’s political system. He said the Islamic articles of the constitution must be protected at all costs and the western conspiracies against those must be countered to keep the country united and stable.

The country was in a dire need of such parties that could work for protecting and strengthening 1973 constitution since it guaranteed the security of country’s political system: Kafeel Bukhari

He said MAIP wanted strong national institutions to end the needless confrontation between different national institutions that not only undermines national security but also cause dangerous political instability. MAIP would be giving due respect to its political rivals and this fact was evident from the past record of the party before and after the creation of Pakistan. Kafeel Shah Bukhari said MAIP would focus itself for public welfare and social reforms, and added that the party would also become a strong voice against the growing extremism and terrorism in the country.