ISLAMABAD (January 6, 2013): Pakistan’s prominent religious scholar and former amir (president) of Jamaat-e-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmed has passed away at the age of 74 in the wee hours of Sunday.
According to the details, Qazi Hussain Ahmed was suffering from heart disease and was under treatment at a private hospital in Islamabad.
Qazi was born in 1938 in the house of Maulana Qazi Muhammad Abdul Rab at Ziarat Kaka Sahib, Distt.
Nowshera, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
After completing early education at home, Qazi Hussain Ahmad took admission in Islamia College, Peshawar and after that got his Masters of Science degree in Geography from Peshawar University. He served as lecturer for three years.
His affiliation with the Islamic Movement started in his school days when he joined Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba, Pakistan.
He became member of Jamaat-e-Islami in 1970 and was elected to the office of President of its Peshawar branch. He served Jamaat-e-Islami as Secretary and then Ameer of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
He was raised to the office of Secretary General, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan in 1978 and after elected as Ameer (Chief) of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan in 1987, continues to serve in that capacity, getting re-elected four more times (1992, 1994, 1999, 2003).
He was a prominent religious scholar, Islamic theologian, Islamic democracy advocate, and former Emir of Jamaat-e-Islami.
He was a strong critic of counter-terrorism policy of the United States, and is widely known for his opposition against United States participation in civil war in the neighboring Afghanistan.
In 2008, he excused to be elected once more and the members of his Party (Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan) elected Syed Munawwar Hassan as the new President of the Party.
His body will be taken to his home town of Nowshera, where his last rites will be offered and would be then buried.
In November 2012, Ahmed had escaped unhurt from an assassination attempt when a female suicide bomber tried to kill him by blowing herself up. Three of his guards were injured in the attack near the Ghaiba Khwar area in the Haleemzai tehsil.
Qazi Ahmed, who was head of the Jamaat-e-islami for almost 27 years, had decided to step down from his post in 2010.
