Mian Tufail passes away

LAHORE - Former Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Mian Tufail Mohammad passed away on Thursday at Sheikh Zayed Hospital after a protracted illness. He suffered a brain haemorrhage on June 7 and was admitted to Sheikh Zayed Hospital. Since then, he had been in coma and breathed his last on Thursday. He was 95. His funeral will be held at Mansoora after Juma prayer. He has left behind him eight daughters and four sons. He served as Ameer JI for 15 years, from 1972-1987. Mian Tufail Mohammad received his bachelors degree in Physics and Mathematics from Government College, Lahore, with distinction in 1935 and completed his LLB in 1937 from the University Law College. For his religious orientation, he owes much to Sayyid Abul Aala Maududi and Maulana Amin Ahsan Islahi. He started his career as a lawyer in Jalandhar, but moved to his Kapurthala State after one year. He was the first Muslim lawyer in the Sikh princely state. When the JI was founded in August 1941, Mian Tufail Mohammad was one of its 75 founding members. In the All India Conference of the Jamaat in March 1944, he was appointed the first permanent Secretary General of the party. From that moment on, he was always in company of Maulana Maududi-attached to him physically and emotionally. Except for the periods when he was put in jail, he worked as Secretary General of the Jamaat till 1965. From January 1966 to 1972, he was Ameer of JI in West Pakistan. When Maududi resigned as JI Ameer in October 1972, for health reasons, Mian Tufail Mohammad was elected as Ameer for five years. He was also elected for two more terms. In 1987 he declined further service on the slot because of long ailment, and Qazi Hussain Ahmed was elected to the position. He confined himself to research work of the Idara-e-Maarif-e-Islamia in Mansoora. He was severally invited by world leaders such as Jamal Abdul Nasser (President of Egypt) for advising on political conflicts as he is widely respected and known for being just and reasonable. During the Ayub era, nine prominent leaders belonging to different political parties were tried for mutiny under the Official Secret Act. Mian Tufail was one of the nine who decided to initiate a democratic movement. The trial lingered on for two years. Ultimately, the case was taken back by the government, on the grounds of that there was no evidence. In 1965, the joint opposition was organized. Mian Tufail was one of its central leaders. Along with other leaders, Mian Tufail Mohammad extensively toured the two wings of the country to create mass awareness and organize a strong national democratic movement. That was the movement which gave the first big upset to Ayubs dictatorial rule. Mian Tufail then actively represented the JI during the post-Tashkent period, in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and Democratic Action Committee (DAC). The result of these movements was the end of Ayub regime in 1969 and the first ever general elections in the country in 1970. Though Mian Tufail did not have much time for literary activities, yet some of his works are widely hailed. The Urdu rendition of 'Kashaf-al-Mahjub and Dawat-e-Islami and Its Demands (Urdu) co-authored with Sayyed Maududi and Amin Ahsan Islahi, are the prominent pieces. Political and religious parties leaders have expressed sorrow and grief over the sad demise of Mian Tufail Mohammad. Paying tributes to the deceased for the matchless services he rendered for propagation of Islam and JI, Ameer JI Syed Munawar Hassan and former Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that the death was a great loss to the entire nation. Expressing sorrow over the death of the former JI Ameer, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan said that the nation has lost a sincere leader. He prayed that the Almighty may rest his soul in eternal peace and give courage to the bereaved family.