Hafiz Naeem: Memories and reflections |
WHO is Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman and what kind of person is he? People know much about him, but I make no such claim. My impressions were largely formed after he became Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan. Had Mr. Shakeel Tarabi not intervened, they might have remained unchanged. About a month ago, Mr Tarabi informed me that the Ameer Sahib would be available at a gathering where people would offer condolences on the death of Ameer-ul-Azeem. I had known Azeem Bhai for years and was deeply grieved by his passing. Memories of many shared experiences came rushing back. Meeting people on that occasion might have eased my grief, but I missed the opportunity through my own mistake.
A few days ago, however, Mr Tarabi told me that Hafiz Naeem had remembered me and invited me to meet him. I gladly accepted. We had a fruitful conversation and an old memory suddenly added an unexpected depth to my understanding of him. It was probably 1992 or 1993. Two activists of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba were abducted in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, brutally tortured and killed. It was the dark era of Altaf Hussain, founder of the MQM, who was known for his chilling indifference to human life. I approached the Karachi Nazim of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba to learn the details. The weekly Takbeer was raising its voice against the MQM’s........