Sepah-e-Muhammad Pakistan

Sepah Muhammad Pakistan is an organized and armed Shia movement in Pakistan that was formed in the early 1990s CE _around 1993 or 1994 CE, with the aim of protecting the community of Shias in this country against attacks by extremist groups. Their main goal was to counter the actions of Takfiri groups such as Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which were carrying out widespread attacks against Shias at that time.

History

This group was founded by individuals such as Sayyid Ghulam Reza Naqvi and Maulana Murid Abbas Yazdani after separating from Tehrik-e-Jafaria Pakistan. Their main goal was to counter the actions of Takfiri groups such as Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which were carrying out widespread attacks against Shias at that time. Sepah Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) was a Shia resistance movement and a political party that was formed in the 1990s CE in response to organized violence by extremist Takfiri groups against Shias in Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan designated this group as a terrorist organization in 2002 CE and banned its activities. This group is also on the list of terrorist organizations of the United States. Ghulam Reza Naqvi, the leader of this group, was released in late 2014 CE after approximately 18 years of imprisonment, but was arrested again some time later.

Arrests

Although the public and extensive activities of this group have decreased compared to the 1990s, reports of arrests of its members in recent years, such as the arrest of 7 members in the Punjab province in 2020 CE, indicate the continued presence of its cells in some areas. The historical headquarters of this group was located in the "Thokar Niaz Baig" area in the suburbs of Lahore. Some reports have accused this group of assassinating extremist Sunni religious figures and having links with institutions outside Pakistan, although many of these claims have not been officially proven.

Accusations

This group was accused by the Pervez Musharraf government of sectarianism and terrorist actions, and thus its leader was imprisoned for 18 years from 1996 to 2014 CE, and ultimately, after serving 18 years of imprisonment, his innocence was proven and he was released from prison. He was imprisoned on false charges of killing terrorist leaders of Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan but this claim was never proven. Finally, the leader of this group, Allamah Ghulam Reza Naqvi, passed away in 1394 SH (2015/16 CE).

Naqvi had said in an interview: Religion teaches us peace and brotherhood; but when the Takfiri group proceeds to kill Shias and attacks our mourning ceremonies, we had no choice but to defend ourselves, and for this reason, we formed Sepah Muhammad. After his death, Murid Abbas Yazdani took over the leadership of the group. The Government of Pakistan also attributed the attempt to assassinate Muhammad Taqi Usmani to this group, while Muhammad Taqi Usmani himself denied this accusation and said he had been threatened by ISIS multiple times. The Government of Pakistan claims that this group is linked with the Quds Force and has organized Pakistani Shia youth in the form of the Zainebiyoun Brigade and sent them to fight in Syria. The Government of Pakistan has declared the activities of this group illegal.

See also

• An Introduction to Religious Movements in Pakistan (book)
• Pervez Musharraf
• Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan
• Quds Force
• Pakistan
• Syria
• ISIS

References

• Eskandari, Mostafa, An Introduction to Religious Movements in Pakistan, Tehran, World Assembly for Approximation of Islamic Sects, 1st edition, 1401 SH, Date of entry: N/A, Date of access: 15 Dey 1404 SH.