Khurram Zaki

Syed Khurram Zaki (Urdu: سید خرم زکی) (born 26 March 1976) is a research scholar, journalist, blogger, human rights and civil rights activist from Karachi, Pakistan.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] He is educated from Karachi, where he attended FAST-NUCES between 1998-2001 enrolled in Bachelor of Computer Science programme.

Zaki served as an instructor/directing staff in the Defence Services Intelligence Academy, Islamabad, where he taught Technical Intelligence. He joined the BTL (Direct Marketing) division of Interflow Communications as Brand Activation Manager in 2002, then moved to Airwaves Media, working for TV One and News ONE as Director/Producer in the Current Affairs and Infotainment department.

After the journalist Sajjad Mir moved to Waqt News Lahore, Zaki became the Head of Current Affairs and Infotainment for TV One and News ONE. He resigned from Airwaves Media in protest when one of his investigative reports on Osama bin Laden irked officials within sector headquarters of Pakistani security and intelligence agencies. He briefly worked with few other channels, including Good News.

Zaki is currently editor of the Pakistani blog and news website "Let Us Build Pakistan" (LUBP). He is known for his opposition to religious extremism and banned terrorist organisations such as TTP, ASWJ and LeJ.^[7] This blog is recently censured and blocked by Pakistan Telecommunication authority for viewers in Pakistan.

Professional career

Contact Plus

Zaki's professional career began in 2002 at Contact Plus, a BTL division of Interflow Communications. He worked in the Strategy Department as Activation Manager under the leadership of Syed Abdul Karim Tanveer. His work involved lead and management of loyalty clubs to encourage development of products such as Lipton, the tea brand of Unilever Pakistan.

TV One/News ONE

Zaki joined TV One in 2005 as Director/Producer in Current Affairs department working under Sajjad Mir, the former editor of Nawaiwaqt. He directed and produced "Sajjad Mir kay Sath", "Taboo", "Front Page" and many others current affairs and infotainment programs including hosting a number of religious shows himself like "Sirat e Mustaqeem" and "Deen Dialogue".^[8] Within two years of joining TV One/News ONE, Taher A. Khan asked him to head and lead the current affairs and infotainment department as Sajjad Mir left News One for Waqt News, Lahore. He also conducted a number of current affairs and political talk shows like "Front Page" and "Election Beat" focussing Terrorism, Talibanization, Sectarianism and Security issues.^[9]^[10]^[11]

Civil Society Activism

Sit-In Outside CM House Karachi

Pakistani civil society which was mainly dormant after their last vocal and meaningful protest campaign during the lawyers movement, against Gen Musharraf, became revitalised and functional again in the aftermath of the APS attack, Peshawar. The Government of Pakistan announced a crackdown on all banned terrorist outfits and a "National Action Plan" was announced to counter and control the menace of growing religious extremism and terrorism in Pakistan. The Constitution of Pakistan was also amended with 21st amendment which specifically calls for military trial of terrorist groups, terrorists and organisations using the name of religion or a sect for carrying out their terrorist activities. A long held moratorium on the death penalty was also lifted for quick execution of terrorists.^[12] But despite the fact that there was general consensus amongst Pakistanis from all walks of life for strict action against these banned terrorist groups, the government rather faltered and ditched the hopes by not taking any action whatsoever against terrorist outfits and even execution of terrorists from these banned outfits (ASWJ, LeJ, TTP) was subsequently and mysteriously stopped without giving any reason. Taking advantage of this situation militant wing of banned terrorist outfit ASWJ struck once again in Shikarpur by attacking a Shia mosque during Friday prayers and congregation on 30 January 2015.^[13] Khurram Zaki announced a sit-in outside CM house Karachi and requested other civil society activists to join the same on 2 February 2015.^[14]^[15]^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]^[20]^[21] Khurram Zaki had a brief scuffle and verbal barrage with police officials when leading the protest he tried to enter the red-zone.^[22] Eventually after more than 30 hours of sit-in and continuous negotiations with government officials including Sharmila Farooqui, Rashid Rabbani and Waqar Mehdi, government accepted the demands of the protestors and Sharmila Farooqui announced on Electronic media during a press conference that ASWJ is a terrorist outfit and Sindh government would soon conduct a crack down on them according to national action plan.^[23]^[24] This promise though never materialised.

Mohammad Jibran Nasir appreciating and giving due credit to Khurram Zaki for his initiative to hold a sit-in outside CM House Karachi in the aftermath of a suicide attack on a Shia mosque in Shikarpur during Friday congregation.

Arrest from Outside CM House Karachi

Only a day after government promise on media that they will rein in the activities of ASWJ, the banned outfit announced rallies on 5 February 2015 to support Kashmir cause. Such rallies were not only against government promises but all the statutory laws of the land including Anti Terrorism Act, Protection of Pakistan Act and National Action Plan drafted and approved after APS attack. Getting news of the planned rallies by ASWJ, the civil society responded swiftly by announcing another sit-in outside CM house if the banned outfit was allowed to hold rallies. ASWJ not only took out rallies on the same day but also managed to enter the red-zone and hold their own sit-in there with police, rangers and other law enforcement agencies kept watching this blatant violation of the law under their own nose. As announced in press club, Khurram Zaki, Jibran Nasir, Noor e Maryam and other civil society activists reached CM from the other side (Karachi Club side) and started their protest against banned outfit and Sindh administration for not keeping up their promises. On the other side of CM House ASWJ was doing their own protest against Civil Society and Khurram Zaki. Police officials and district administration preferred to crack down on Civil Society activists instead of ASWJ and around 25 were arrested immediately for entering red zone including Khurram Zaki.^[25] These 25 were only released after huge masses and protestors started converging on police station demanding their immediate release. The episode of the arrest of civil society peaceful activists again showed and exposed the vulnerability and weakness of civil government and infrastructure in front of these banned "jihadi" outfits. Police couldn't arrest even one of the ASWJ terrorist from other side of the CM house.^[26]^[27]

Protest Outside Lal Masjid Islamabad and Arrest

On 16th Dec 2015, the first anniversary of Army Public School Peshawar massacre, Khuuram Zaki announced a Civil Society protest outside Lal Masjid Islamabad. District administration and security and intelligence apparatus tried to persuade him to change the location of protest citing intelligence reports and apprehensions that the protest may be targeted by terrorist outfits. A meeting with the dictrcit administration on the invitation of the DC Islamabad held same day.^[28] He reitierated that peaceful protests are constitutional right of every citizen and thus he and other civil society activists would continue with their planned protest. When he along with his wife, kids and other acitivists reached the Lal Masjid at the given time (2 pm) heavy contingent of police was already deployed there to disperse the protesters. As soon as they started chanting slogans against Molvi Abdul Aziz, Taliban and Extremism, Deputy Suprintendent of Police, supported by number of police consatables, intervened and ordered the arrest of all the protesters. The protesters were holding Pakistani national flag at that time, chanting slogans against Molvi Abdul Aziz and banned outfits including Taliban. They were not disrupting any traffic or public order as such. Police constables grabbed Khurram Zaki and dragged him towards the police van. He continued to ask them for the reasons of arrest as they had not broken any law of the land. The news of the protest and arrest was telecated on major news channels as "breaking news".^[29]^[30]^[31] Not only Khurram Zaki but his wife, 16-year-old daughter Mariam Fatima and many other women activists were also arrested from the scene and were taken to Abpara Police Station, Islamabad.^[32]^[33]^[34] They were only released after interior minister Ch. Nisar Ali Khan intervened and ordered to release them. Interior minister said that there was no reason to arrest the peaceful protesters.^[35]^[36] He also ordered the suspension of SHO and Show Cause notice was served to Superintendent of the Police, Islamabad.^[37]^[38] The arrests caused an uproar on social media and the issue of Lal Masjid and Molvi Abdul Aziz once again came in limelight with parliamentarians raising the issue in National Assembly. Renown Civil Society activists and academicians Farzana Bari and Pervez Hoodbhoy were also part of this protest.^[39] To understand the context of this and other protests with repect to Lal Masjid read this article by Ayesha Siddiqa which also referred to this specific protest.^[40]

Controversies

Debate with Dr Israr Ahmed on Caliphate

Zaki became widely known for his private discussion and debate with the late Dr. Israr Ahmed on the causes of early schism among Muslims including the issue of Caliphate. The video of this discussion was leaked to different media hosting websites and became viral in a very short span.^[41] Israr Ahmed failed miserably to answer specific and precise questions raised by Masood Raza and Khurram Zaki and to defend the traditional doctrine of Caliphate as conceptualised by Sunni school of thought, during the more than three hours of discussion. This discussion was held in 2005.^[42]

Debate on Iftar Timings on ARY

In 2012 Iqrar ul Hassan hosted an academic debate on the differences of Iftar timings between Sunni and Shia Islamic schools of thought for ARY. This discussion was recorded in Salafi seminary Jamia Sattaria. This seminary is run by Molana Muhammad Salafi of Jamat Ghuraba Ahle Hadees.^[43] This episode was a hit because it was the first time such open and bold discussion took place with scholars of all schools of thought represented.

On the role of government

Khurram Zaki rebuked Qamar Zaman Kaira (then Information Minister) and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (then Prime Minister of Pakistan) publicly when the two visited Quetta in January 2013 after twin bombings in Shia Hazara dominated area by banned terrorist outfit ASWJ (former Anjuman Sipah-e-Sahabah) which saw 130 people killed and more than 270 injured. During the live press conference when Qamar Zaman interrupted Shia leaders and said that "negotiations are not done with Prime Minister", Khurram Zaki counterattacked Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Qamar Zaman Kaira boldly and asked them if the prime minister was some viceroy and dictator from Great Britain. The negotiations ended in the dismissal of the Balochistan government. The video of this press conference went viral and a number of TV channels and newspaper articles reported and mentioned this event later on.^[44]^[45]^[46]^[47]^[48]

Debate about term marriage (Mut'ah)

In July 2013, Iqrar ul Hasan conducted a debate for ARY on term marriage (Mut'ah).^[49] The program was recorded in two parts.^[50] This debate caused a stir in the religious circles of the country as open debate on such a sensitive topic on mainstream media was never heard of rather there was a long held "silent consensus" within media circles not to hold talk shows on issues which are a source of friction and contention for centuries between two major Islamic schools of thought. Though there was one minor attempt by Mubashir Luqman to hold a similar discussion on the same topic ^[51] but the program Iqrar ul Hassan conducted was more in-depth, rigorous and inclusive in nature thus generating more subsequent debate and controversy. After airing of the first episode pressure built up on the management of ARY not to air the second part but they decided to go ahead. When the second episode was aired despite threats and warning not to do so, the banned terrorist outfit Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) ^[52]^[53]^[54] took out on streets in Karachi and hold a sit-in outside ARY studios situated at SITE Karachi.^[55] Notorious terrorist Aurangzaib Farooqi was leading this protest rally, not only against Khurram Zaki and Iqrar ul Hassan but against ARY management as well for giving the permission to air the controversial program. ARY management finally succumb to these threats and offered apology to the banned terrorist outfit ASWJ and assured them that Khurram Zaki won't be invited again ever on ARY in any program.^[56]^[57]

On early Muslim lineages

Khurram Zaki was invited in the Sehri transmission of Samaa TV, as a research scholar, on 7 July 2014. The Sehri transmission of Samaa TV was being hosted by Syed Bilal Qutb and on that day the topic of discussion was the role of mother in developing and grooming the personalities of their kids. During the course of discussion when Bilal Qutb asked him about his views on the topic he responded by quoting the examples of two mothers: Syeda Fatimah Zahra and Hind. The former of the two mothers gave Islam two brilliant and shining stars, Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain, who sacrificed all they had for the glory and honor of Islam while the later one produced Muawiyah and Yazid, responsible for the decline and destruction of Khilafat e Rashidah into brutal dictatorship and monarchy.^[58]^[59]^[60]^[61] Banned terrorist outfit ASWJ was again on the road protesting against what Khurram Zaki said during the LIVE program with reference to Hinda and Muawiyah threatening the TV channel, Samaa, of dire consequences and asking the government to register an FIR and punishing him under the infamous blasphemy law section 298-A of the Pakistan penal code. Mufti Naeem of Jamia Binnoria Karachi also came on record and demanded Khurram Zaki and Bilal Qutub to be tried under blasphemy law for disrespecting Muawiyah.^[62]^[63] ASWJ hold protest rallies across Pakistan against Khurram Zaki, Bilal Qutb and Samaa TV ^[64]^[65] while sending scores of complaints to PEMRA as well to take official action against the said TV channel.^[66] Samaa TV like ARY succumbed and surrendered to pressure from banned terrorist outfit and banned appearance of Khurram Zaki on their channel for lifetime, contravening all norms and international laws ensuring freedom of expression and religious beliefs.^[67]^[68]^[69]

Scanned image of the tweets from official account of banned terrorist outfit ASWJ against Khurram Zaki, Bilal Qutb and Samaa TV

References

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