Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman: The JI leader respected by both friends and foes

The newly elected central emir of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, was born into a middle-income family in Hyderabad in 1972. His parents natively belong to Aligarh in India. He has three sons and a daughter. His wife Shumaila Naeem is a doctor by profession and also an active member of the JI.

Rehman learnt the Holy Quran by heart at Jamia Masjid Darul Uloom in Latifabad in Hyderabad. After he did his matriculation, his family moved to Karachi. He obtained his Higher Secondary School Certificate-level education from the Government Shipowners College in Karachi. He obtained a BE degree in Civil Engineering from the NED University of Engineering & Technology. He later earned his master’s degree in Islamic History from the University of Karachi.

Rehman had an affiliation with Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba while he was a student. He remained imprisoned thrice while participating in the movement to secure rights for the students. He remained the Nazim of Karachi and Sindh chapters of the IJT. He served as Nazim-e-Ala of the IJT for a two-year term. Later on, he joined JI to do active politics.

Rehman contested the 2001 local government election and became a union council naib nazim in District Central of Karachi. He served as JI Amir for Liaquatabad zone, Naib Amir of District Central, General Secretary, and Naib Amir of Karachi chapters of the JI. He was elected for the first time as Amir JI Karachi in 2013.

As the chief of the JI Karachi chapter, he always remained outspoken on public issues related to street crime, law and order, real estate, power supply, services of other public utilities, education, and job opportunities for Karachi’s youth. He led a protest sit-in, which started in January 2022 and continued for 29 days, outside the Sindh Assembly building to empower Karachi’s local government system.

On his watch, the JI emerged as the runner-up in the last local government elections in Karachi in January 2023, winning 87 UCs and nine towns. Also to his credit is the Bano Qabil initiative launched by the JI’s charity Al-Khidmat aimed at launching a mass IT learning programme for Karachi’s youth. He is also the president of Al-Khidmat Welfare Society Karachi overseeing several charitable initiatives, especially in the health sector in the city.