Punjab govt removes Ashrafi as MUB chief

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Monday removed Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi as chairman of the Muttahida Ulema Board (MUB) and replaced him with Punjab Quran Board (PQB) Chairman Hamid Raza.

According to sources, Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi ordered the removal of Ashrafi reportedly on the demand of the PTI top leadership which has been unhappy with him over his resistance to follow some new policy guidelines.

A notification by Punjab Auqaf Secretary Abrar Ahmed, which removed Ashrafi and appointed Hamid Raza in his place, says that the rest of the Muttahida Ulema Board will remain intact. The removal of Ashrafi came a day after he had called on Pervaiz Elahi at his office on Sunday where the CM had assured that the Seerat Academy would be restored with the commencement of new MPhil classes in it, and that the MUB would be re-activated by bringing a new law.

In a post-meeting statement, Ashrafi praised the services of Elahi for the promotion of Islam, saying that those services would always be remembered. He also praised the CM’s decision to enact a new law for the MUB.

After his removal from the MUB, Ashrafi expressed satisfaction over his conduct as MUB chairman, saying that it was a blessing of Almighty that he had never allowed the MUB platform to be used for political or personal motives. In a tweet, he said that as the misuse of religion against Imran Khan for political motives was wrong, its misuse against other political leaders was also wrong. He said he was proud of the MUB recognition at the world level.

Hamid Raza is the chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), an alliance of over a dozen religious parties affiliated with the Barelvi school of thought. He was appointed as Punjab Quran Board chairman two years ago but resigned few months back when Hamza Shehbaz became Punjab chief minister. He is the son of religious scholar Fazal Karim and inherited his father’s legacy in Faisalabad where he also contested the NA-110 seat in the 2018 general elections and got 5,085 votes. He had called on PTI Chairman Imran Khan a few days back and expressed confidence in his political movement. He also condemned the political victimization of Imran Khan by the federal government in the garb of fanning religious hatred.

According to sources, Punjab government exerted pressure on Tahir Ashrafi over cases against PMLN leaders Mariyum Aurengzeb and Javed Latif for taking favourable decision from the Ulema Board but Ashrafi was of the view that the board must be kept apolitical. According to sources, Tahir Ashrafi also gave decision in consonance with the Shariah on the applications sent by Imran Khan.