20 Facts About Mufti Mehmood

Mufti Mehmood was a Pakistani statesman and Islamic scholar who was one of the founding members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam ; widely regarded as one of the greatest politicians in the history of Pakistan - known for his political acumen.

Mufti Mehmood served as the first elected Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and later on as the Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly.

Mufti Mehmood led the opposition movement Pakistan National Alliance against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, which eventually led to Bhutto's downfall.

Mufti Mehmood was among the principal architects of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan.

Mufti Mehmood's father was a pir or Sufi spiritual leader.

Mufti Mehmood received his religious education at Madrasa Shahi, Moradabad, UP and graduated from the Darul Uloom Deoband.

At the time of the Indian independence movement Mufti Mahmud opposed the partition of colonial India and opposed the creation of Pakistan.

Mufti Mehmood served as a Muhtamim at Jamia Qasim-ul-Uloom in Multan and later in his career, he held the positions of Chief Mudarras in charge of education, Chief Mufti, and Sheikh al-Hadith.

Mufti Mehmood issued at least 25,000 Fatwas in his lifetime and his students included Maulana Abdullah Ghazi, Abdul Majeed Ludhianvi and Noor Muhammad.

Mufti Mehmood Mahmud was a critic of family planning programme of Ayub Khan's government.

Mufti Mehmood participated in the elections for the National Assembly for the first time under Ayub Khan's 'Basic Democracy Program' and defeated all his opponents in 1962.

On 8 January 1968, in Dacca, then in East Pakistan, Mufti Mehmood Mahmud was one of the key leaders of Jamhoori Majlis-e-Amal that opposed Ayub Khan's regime.

Mufti Mehmood's party went into a coalition with the National Awami Party for the 1970 Pakistani general election.

Mufti Mehmood Mahmud played a vital role in Tehreek-e-Khatme Nabuwwat, a religious movement which has highlighted the beliefs of the followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in Pakistan, in 1953 and again in 1974.

Mufti Mehmood led a team of Islamic scholars which worked for the declaration of Ahmadis as non-Muslims in 1974.

Mufti Mehmood vowed to launch an anti-government movement, and first formed the UDF, and later on Pakistan National Alliance: the largest opposition movement in the history of Pakistan against Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Mufti Mehmood supported the Afghan jihad against the USSR in 1979.

Mufti Mehmood died on 14 October 1980, in Karachi, Sindh at the age of 61.

Mufti Mehmood was buried in his hometown Abdul Khel, Paniala, Dera Ismail Khan District.

Mufti Mehmood's son Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman is a politician who leads the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party in Pakistan.