Hafiz Naeemur Rehman replaces Siraj as JIP Ameer

LAHORE: Hafiz Naeemur Rehman has been elected as Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP), replacing Sirajul Haq for the post, ARY News reported.

As per the election commission formed by the JIP’s Majlis-e-Shura, around 45,000 thousand members of the party from all over the country cast their votes.

The election commission added that around 6,000 women members of the party also took part in the electoral process. The overall 82 percent turnout was recorded. He is likely to take oath by April 7.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had been serving as the party’s Karachi Ameer since 2013.

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman became the sixth man to hold the top position in the party after Maulana Abul Ala Maududi (1941–72), Mian Tufail Muhammad (1972–87), Qazi Hussain Ahmed (1987–2008), Munawer Hassan (2008–2013), and Sirajul Haq (2013–2024).

Student life

Graduated from NED University with a degree in civil engineering and Karachi University with a master’s degree in Islamic history, Hafiz Naeemur Rehman had also served twice as Nazim-e-Ala of the Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT).

He became member of the Jamaat-e-Islami in 2000, and was named the party’s Karachi Ameer in October of 2013. He is also the president of the JI-affiliated NGO Al-Khidmat Karachi branch.

Mayoral elections

Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also contested local government elections in Karachi as the party’s mayoral candidate but lost to Barrister Murtaza Wahab of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). He received 160 votes against the winner Barrister Murtaza Wahab who bagged 173 votes.

In the General Elections 2024, he had won a provincial assembly seat PS-129 from North Nazimabad and adjacent areas of Karachi’s central district.

However, he announced to vacate the seat without taking oath, maintaining that an independent candidate supported by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf actually won from the provincial constituency.

Earlier on February 12, Sirajul Haq announced to resign from the party’s top position following the defeat in February 8 general elections

“I accept responsibility for the election defeat and have resigned from the post of party ameer,” said Sirajul Haq in a short post on X (formerly Twitter).