LAHORE - Tanzim-i Fiqr-i-Waliullahi (TFW), a religious organisation following the ideology of Jamaat Ulema-e-Hind, Shah Waliullah and Maulana Obaid Ullah Sindhi, has split into two parts, Pakistan Today has learnt.
In a convention at Rawalpindi, about five to seven hundred workers and leaders belonging to different cities had launched a second faction, Tanzim-i-Fiqr-i-Waliullah (Nazriati). Old stalwarts of the party, Asloob Qureshi (Ex Central President), Saif ul Islam Khalid (Ex Punjab President), and Asghar Ali Shah(Ex Central President) are rumored to be leading the new faction.
Pakistan Today asked members of the rebel faction for the reason of their disassociation from TFW specified their reasons: They said that six months ago, TFW President Saeed Awan wrote a controversial article in the party's journal "Azm", which caused internal disagreement. The article in question called for a reversal of the party policy saying that non-Muslims had no right joining their party.
The members claimed the article deviated from the teachings of Shah Wali Ullah, Maulana Husain Ahmed Madni, Mualana Obaid ullah Sindhi and other Deoband Ulema. "The article meant for us that the two nation theory had been revied while our leaders were staunch followers of the one nation theory," the members said.
Dissidents revealed the second point of departure was that TFW use dto speak out against unfettered capitalism but would accept 'charity' from those who did not symphatise with the party cause and represented capitalists. "It was through donations from charitable capitalists that the party was able to buy offices in Karachi, Multan and Sukkhar. The next plan is rumoured to be a big project in Murree worth millions of rupees.
The money is not from within the party," the dissidents said. The third point of departure was that the manifesto declares TFW the superior body but, in reality, people close to the Khanqah Rahimia seminary was given priority than party cadres. They also said that Maulana Saeed Ahmed Raipuri had surrounded himself with relatives and was no longer acting as party patron. This meant critics of the central policy were sidelined in the party processes.
TFW President (Central) Mufti Saeed Awan speaking to Pakistan Today clarified that, "It was not an ouster. They decided to quit TFW themselves. They gave their faction a new name before we announced our disassociation from them."
"If they had decided this on the party forum, then they would have been entitled to ask for party favour. The truth is that they left due to personal short-comings. They felt their importance fall, it was a psychological problem on their part," he said. On the issue of the inclusion of non-Muslims in the party cadre Mufti Saeed Awan said, "That the dissidents were opposed to non-Muslim membership is on record. They were the one's to say minorities had links outside the country and could not be part of the party."