Maulana Atta-ur-Rehman is a Pakistani Islamic scholar and politician. He currently serves as the vice-president of Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F) and holds a position as a member of the Senate of Pakistan. Born on 25 July 1965, he comes from a prominent political lineage.
Early life and education
He was born in Abdul Khel, Dera Ismail Khan. His father is Maulana Mufti Mehmood, a well-known religious and political leader who famously defeated Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in the 1970 general elections. Atta-ur-Rehman is also the younger brother of Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
His academic journey began with traditional religious studies. He completed his Shahadat-ul-Alamia through Wifaq-ul-Madaris-ul-Arabia and studied at Qasim-ul-Uloom in Multan in 1987. Later, he earned a Master of Arts in Islamiat from Gomal University in Dera Ismail Khan in 1996. He served as the in-charge and teacher at the religious institute Jamia-tul-Maarif-Alsharia in Dera Ismail Khan.
Career
His political involvement with Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam began in 1998. During that year, he served as the Election Commissioner for the Dera Ismail Khan District. He later held the position of Joint Secretary for JUI in the NWFP in 1998. By 2002, he became the Party Election Commissioner for the NWFP province and the President of JUI in the Dera Ismail Khan district.
Atta-ur-Rehman entered the National Assembly in 2002. He was elected from constituency NA-25, representing Dera Ismail Khan and Tank on an MMA ticket. In this first election, he defeated the main contender, Engr. Dawar Khan Kundi of the PPP, by approximately 72,000 votes. He played an active role in the opposition during this term.
He secured a second consecutive term as a member of the National Assembly in 2008. This election saw him defeat former provincial minister Habib Ullah Khan Kundi, also known as Babu Khan. Although Babu Khan petitioned the Supreme Court of Pakistan alleging unfairness, the court cleared the result and confirmed Atta-ur-Rehman as the winner.
Following the 2008 elections, JUI joined the PPP government as a coalition partner through a unanimous decision by the central executive committee. Consequently, he was appointed as the Federal Minister for Tourism. He held this ministerial portfolio from 2008 until 2010. One of his primary administrative measures involved banning alcohol in hotels and restaurants for both local and foreign tourists.
His leadership roles within JUI continued to expand over several years. He served as the Vice President or Naib Ameer of JUI in the NWFP from 2006 to the present. He currently maintains his influence as a senior leader within the party structure.
Personal life
Atta-ur-Rehman is the son of Mufti Mehmood, who served as the former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His family maintains a significant political presence in the regions of NWFP, Southern Punjab, Balochistan and Interior Sindh. He remains active in both religious scholarship and national politics.