Voice of JUI

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam is a Sunni Deobandi Islamic political party in Pakistan. Established as JUI (Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam) in 1945,
The JUI follows the Sunni Deobandi school. In Pakistan, Deobandis have a presence in Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The JUI traces its roots to politically active Deobandi who formed the Jamaat Ulema Hind (JUH), in 1919 inBritish India.
JUI' s first president, Shabbir Ahmad Usmani, broke away from the party in 1947 to form the Markazi Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (MJUI), which played a key role in the passage of the Objectives Resolution of 1949 that laid down the "Islamic" foundations of future constitutions in Pakistan. The JUI became more politically active under Maulana Mufti Mahmood (1919-1980) who assumed its leadership in 1962. Under the Mufti Mahmood during the 1960s the party "developed a strong presence" and base of support among the "intensely conservative countryside" . Mufti Mahmood led the JUI against Ayub Khan’s modernization policies.
The JUI also participated in the 1970 elections and won seven seats in the National Assembly and nine in the provincial assemblies and became a partner in the NWFP and Balochistan provincial governments. Mufti Mahmood was sworn in as NWFP chief minister. Under him the provincial government established a board to bring all laws in conformity with Islam. He resigned in 1973 over Bhutto’s dismissal of the Balochistan provincial government. After the death of Mufti Mehmood all the Debandi Ulema of Pakistan Nominated Mulana Fazal ur Rehman of President of Jamiat Ulema Islam Pakistan.
Mulana Fazal-ul-Rehman was born in Abdulkhel, D.I. Khan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province, on 19 June 1953. Mulana Fazal-ul-Rehman hails from an influential political family, his father Mufti Mahmud was a local clerical leader and had a strong vote bank in the Dera Ismail Khan. Mulana Fazal-ul-Rehman studied at the local Madrassa, a religious seminary, in DI Khan. Later, Mulana Fazal-ul-Rehman was accepted at the University of Peshawar where he studied Islamic studies, earning BA degree in Islamic studies in 1983. Mulana Fazal-ul-Rehman went to Cairo, Egypt, after being accepted at the Al-Azhar University. Unlike many of his colleagues who have only received degrees from madrassas, Mulana Fazal-ul-Rehman is an alumnus of Al-Azhar University and studied and researched in religious Theology there, under reputed religious and divinity research scholars. In 1987, Rehman completed and published his master's thesis on political aspects of Islam and was awarded M.A in Religious studies from the Al-Azhar University. Upon returning to Pakistan, he participated in 1988 general elections for state parliament.
Mulana Fazal-ur-Rehman rose to national politics in 1988, has been elected to National Assembly on multiple occasions. Mulana Fazal-ur-Rehman and his party remained junior coalition/ opposition partners of the national government 1988–1990, 1993–1996, 2008–2013 and 2013–present.