Jamia Farooqia is a Sunni Deobandi seminary known for its principal Moulana Saleem Ullah Khan, who is president of Wifaqul Madarisul Arabia Pakistan, an organisation to regulate Deobandi seminaries and Iqra Schools across the country. The madressah is one of the ten largest and most influential Deobandi seminaries in Pakistan.

The madressah was in the news for an attack on Shia mourners on 25th muharram, injuring many of them, eventually resulting in the death of a student of the madressah. After Jamia Binoria SITE, the madressah has largest number of activists of the banned SSP (now Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat).

Links with Ba’ath Party Iraq

Almost all the Deobandi madressahs rely on funds from Arab countries, Expats in other countries and business communities of urban centers.

During the decade long Iraq-Iran war, administration of Jamia Farooqia found it an opportunity to milk Saddam Government for their support against Iran on sectarian basis. Saddam Governmentt and its diplomats had cordial relations with the principal Saleemullah khan. They helped in constructing a building at madressah main campus, inaugurated by Iraq embassy officials and has Iraq flag hoisted over it. After Saddam Hussain lost its popularity and madressah his financial support, the building was renamed and flag removed.

A few years back, the madressah was allotted a large piece of land on the borderline of Balochistan, near Northern Bypass. Construction work started, buildings constructed and academic sessions commenced.

The madressa soon became a center of activities for the banned outfits like SSP(ASWJ) and LeJ. As Paskistan state has directed its policy of widening religious and ethnic divide towards Balochistan. Baloch people, oftenly secular and relatively less religious were targets of that new strategy.

Recently when SSP (ASWJ) has been facilitated back to the mainstream by making them part of the ISI formed Difae Pakistan Council (DPC) to reconcile with the rogue assets of LeJ, who were instrumental in perpetrating attacks on the offices of ISI, SIU and FIA as well as a lethal attack on GHQ. Malik Ishaq of LeJ assisted them to get GHQ attackers surrendered(have you heard something of Aqeel alias Dr Osman trial).

They have been assigned the task to polarize population in Balochistan by massacring Shia hazaras as well as  killing possible political rivals in their own (deobandi) sect. It started from Jamia Farooqia new campus, on a 2 kilometer distance from Hub chowki.

Hub Chowki is the first town of  Balochistan bordering Karachi, it is one of the four main administrative unit of district Lasbella. The town has an old deobandi madressa, Jamia Qasim ul Uloom Bhawani, owned by ulemas affiliated to JUI-F. The principal Ghulam Qadir Bhawani is ethnic Baloch with moderate views. recently they were worried when graffiti from Lashkar-e-Jhangvi appeared at the walls and rocks on both sides of RCD highway. On introspection, the graffiti trailed back to Jamia Farooqia.

After the formation of DPC, SSP/LeJ had their gatherings with titles like “Istehkam-e-Pakistan Conference”. In a similar gathering at Hub, Lasbella, attended by ASWJ chief Ahmed Ludhianvi, participants came mostly from Karachi, while the gathering was organised by students from Jamia Farooqia.

Now, SSP/ASWJ is on a campaign in Balochistan. Their offices are opened in all the tehsils of Lasbella, and their gatherings attended by SSP/LeJ central and Sindh leaders Ludhianvi and Rab Nawaz Hanafi. Local sources have informed us that SSP/ASWJ leaders have been provided full security by the Army officials. A local leader of JUI commented that they were unable to run one office in the whole district due to lack of funds, while SSP/ASWJ activists are running offices in all the major towns there.

While SSP/ASWJ/LeJ are extending their influence in Balochistan under Pakistan Army umbrella, Jamia Farooqia is abetting them with activists and foot soldiers.

Will the moderate Deobandis please speak up!!

While extremists deobandis from SSP/ASWJ/LeJ are killing people from both sides, across the ethnic lines on ideological reasons, Shias for their erstwhile enemies and fellow deobandis for non-compliance. Its on moderate Deobandis to speak up. First, disown butchers, monsters and ruthless killers in their own ranks and files and then stand up with the innocent people from Shia community as well as all the persecuted communities apart from petty political interests and disagreements on religious basis.

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