ISLAMABAD: Veteran religious scholar and politician Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, who serves as central secretary general of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), was shifted to the cardiac care unit at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences late Wednesday after experiencing a cardiac arrest, according to hospital officials.
Medical staff said his condition was stable under observation and that he was receiving specialised treatment.
Chief of JUI-F, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, reached the hospital soon after the news and met doctors to receive a briefing on Haideri’s condition. He was joined by senior party colleagues, including Maulana Abdul Wasey and Senator Kamran Murtaza, who expressed solidarity with the family and prayed for his recovery.
Haideri is regarded as one of the longest-serving organisational figures in JUI-F and has played a central role in managing party affairs for nearly three decades. He has held the position of secretary general since the mid-1990s and previously served as Deputy Chairman of the Senate after being elected to the office in 2015.
Born in Kalat in 1957, Haideri pursued traditional religious education before qualifying through examinations conducted by Wafaq-ul-Madaris. In the 1980s, he established a religious seminary in his hometown where he also taught for several years.
His association with political movements dates back to the 1970s. He participated in nationwide religious and political campaigns during that period and faced imprisonment more than once. In 1983, he was chosen as JUI-F’s district general secretary in Quetta and was later detained during the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy, where he underwent imprisonment under a military court’s sentence.
Party sources said Haideri remained conscious and responsive during treatment, and further updates on his health were expected after detailed medical evaluation.
