Cleric of Politics

Orator, author and scholar, he is now spearheading a political revolt. Holding a dual citizenship with Canada, he is a polyglot – well versed in Urdu, Punjabi, English, Arabic and Persian – popular in many countries, especially amongst religious scholars. 

In 2010, he issued a historic 600-page religious fatwa on suicide bombings, which won him international applause. The fatwa cited references from the holy Quran, Hadiths and texts from various Islamic scholars.

Early Life

Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri was born on February 19, 1951 in Jhang, Pakistan. He was educated about both the Islamic and secular sciences from childhood by his father. His formal classical education started in Madina at the age of 12. By the time he received his First Class Honours Degree from the University of the Punjab in 1970, he had also completed his classical Islamic Studies.

He earned his MA in Islamic Studies in 1972 with the University of the Punjab with Gold Medal, achieved his LLB in 1974 and began to practice as a lawyer in the district courts of Jhang. He moved to Lahore in 1978 and joined the University of the Punjab as a lecturer in law and then gained his PhD in Islamic Law. 

Minhaj ul Quran

In October 1981, Qadri founded Minhaj ul Quran, an organization which aims to operate on the philosophy of abridging the communication gap between different communities and religions. It also aspires to promote peace by educating young minds about classical Islamic sciences.

Since its inception, the organization has spread its network in over 90 countries. In 2011, the United Nations Economic and Social Council granted special consultative status to the organization.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek

In May 1989, Qadri established a political party, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT). The main objective of the party was to provide law and order measures for the general public, respect for human rights, and elimination of poverty and quality education for all.

In 1990, members from the PAT contested for the general elections and later on Qadri was elected as a member of the National Assembly. However, he resigned from his seat on Nov 29, 2004 and moved to Canada a year later.

He came back in 2012 addressing a large audience at the Minar-i-Pakistan saying that the current system adopted by the government had failed.

In 2013, he led a march of tens of thousands from Lahore to Islamabad to stage a sit-in in order to bring about political reforms in the country.

On Aug 14, 2014, he organized “Inquilab march” to Islamabad to oust Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif.