Prof Ibrahim takes oath as JI KP chief

PESHAWAR: Prof. Mohammad Ibrahim Khan on Tuesday took oath as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for another three-year term.

The oath-taking ceremony was arranged at the provincial headquarters of the party here. A large number of party workers and office-bearers attended the ceremony. Prominent among others present on the occasion included: General secretary Abdul Wasi, vice-presidents, Inayatullah Khan and Ubaidur Rahman Abbasi, Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali and Dr Mohammad Iqbal Khalil.

The elections for presidents of the four provinces of the country were conducted through postal ballots in accordance with the party’s constitution and traditions. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Prof. Ibrahim Khan and two vice-presidents of the party namely Maulana Mohammad Ismail and Inayatullah Khan, had been approved by the party’s consultative body for the election of the office. As per JI’s tradition, elections for all office-bearers are conducted democratically, a process known within the party as Istiswab (plebiscite), where full members (Arkaan) cast their votes.

Though the central chief of the party holds the discretion to appoint any candidate, the election process typically respects the opinion of the Arkaan. This time, Prof Ibrahim secured the position for another term.

Born in 1952 in Bannu, Prof. Ibrahim has been a dedicated member of Jamaat-e-Islami for decades. He completed his early education in his hometown and earned his LLB and Master’s degree in Journalism from Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan. After initially joining Gomal University’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communication as a lecturer, he left academia to fully commit to JI. He had already started his political career as a member of Islami Jamiat-i- Talaba, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Prof Ibrahim quickly rose through the party ranks, holding several key positions. In 1987, he was appointed provincial secretary-general, a position he held until 1994 when he was elevated to provincial president. He led the party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until 2004, when Sirajul Haq, former central chief of the party succeeded him. Prof Ibrahim has also served as JI’s central deputy chief for several years and represented the party in Pakistan’s Senate, contributing to various official forums.

Meanwhile, Bahrullah Khan Advocate was also sworn in as district chief of the party for another consecutive term.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Ibrahim Khan termed the Action in Aid of Civil Power Regulations as a law of the jungle. About the Pashtun Jirga of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement, he said that he could not attend the gathering due to some unavoidable engagements elsewhere. However, he said that they were assessing the outcome of the jirga. “We will support the right actions of the jirga and criticize the wrong ones,” he remarked.