RAWALPINDI: The Central Information Minister and Secretary-General of the Pakistan Muslim League, Mr Abdul Waheed Khan, said here today [Dec 20] that Maulana Abdul Ala Maudoodi, in search of political power, had this time broken his own past record of changing his convictions and subordinating the faith and principles to diplomacy and politics. The Minister was commenting on the latest statement of Maulana Maudoodi in support of the candidature of Mohtarama Fatima Jinnah. Maulana Maudoodi, he added, had no other alternative but to accept his own previous interpretations when confronted with them. He, however, went on making compromises with his own principles and convictions to suit expediency.

The Minister said that in 1938, Maulana Maudoodi thought the formation of political parties amounted to a division of the people and creation of schism in the nation, because, according to him, the whole Muslim nation was a party. But in 1941, he founded his own party under the title of Jamaat-i-Islami. In 1958, he thought the formation of political parties within the legislatures was contrary to the injunctions of the Holy Quran, because, at that time, he had no following in the legislatures. In 1962, however, he directed his followers, to form such parties.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2014