In a significant development in Pakistani politics, veteran politician Siraj ul Haq announced his decision to step aside as the leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, entrusting the leadership to esteemed senior members of the right-wing party.
Haq, aged 61, made this decision following his defeat in the recent elections to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) backed independent candidate Muhammad Bashir Khan by a considerable margin of over 20,000 votes in the NA-6 (Lower Dir-I) constituency.
The move comes as a reflection of JI’s electoral performance, failing to secure any seats in the National Assembly and Punjab. The party only managed to clinch two seats each in the provincial legislatures of Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Earlier today, senior party leader Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman resigned from his position in the provincial assembly citing alleged electoral irregularities.
Siraj-ul-Haq, a prominent figure in Pakistani politics, had led Jamaat-e-Islami until February 2024. Notably, he previously served as the senior minister of KP during Pervez Khattak’s tenure as Chief Minister.
Despite stepping down from the leadership role, Sirajul Haq continues to wield influence within the party as a chief right-wing leader, succeeding Syed Munawar Hassan. This transition marks a significant turning point in the trajectory of Jamaat-e-Islami, with senior figures poised to steer the party’s course in the coming era.
