Jamiat Ahle Hadith

Jamiat Ahle Hadith (JA) (Urdu:جمیعت اہلحدیث یا جمیعت اہل حدیث English: Assembly of followers of the Sayings of the prophet) is a religio-political party in Pakistan promoting the Ahle Hadees religious movement. Unlike similar Islamic groups it opposed government involvement in affairs of sharia law.^[1] Their leader, Ehsan Elahi Zaheer, was assassinated in 1987 and as of 2014 the party is led by Professor Sajid Mir.^[2]

The party was part of the Islamic fundamentalist Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, alliance that won 11.3 percent of the popular vote in the 2002 legislative elections, but has since folded. It is linked to the Ahl al-Hadith movement, and receives support from Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia.

References

1. Roy, Olivier, The Failure of Political Islam, by Olivier Roy, translated by Carol Volk, Harvard University Press, 1994, p.118-9
2. Qazi mulls rejoining MMA Daily Times, March 3, 2008