Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: Renowned young religious scholar Allama Muhammad Adnan Qadri getting sky-rocketing popularity and public support after he kicked off his first-ever election campaign last week as an independent candidate in Pk-69 constituency in Landikotal.
Allama Muhammad Adnan Qadri is the son of former senator Hafiz Abdul Malik Qadri and nephew of former federal minister for religious affairs and interfaith harmony doctor Noorul Haq Qadri.
The young Adnan Qadri, who contested the election for the first time on the provincial assembly seat from PK-69, is a prominent religious figure of district Khyber. He had filed nomination papers as an independent candidate and started his election campaign in various villages in Landikotal.
Adnan’s supporters and followers rapidly uploaded posts and his pictures on social media which has received thousands of likes and shares on Facebook pages. More than 20 welcoming programmes and corner meetings have been arranged for Adnan Qadri in the past days where people shower flowers on him and chant slogans “Adnan is your leader and best to vote”.
Social media surveys conducted by various people and social media influencers also indicated that his fame and support were unmatched compared to the other election candidates.
Adnan Qadri met with people in Landikotal, Mulagori and Shalman localities. His first mass public gathering was attended by more than thirty thousand people in Jamrud. Residents told Adnan Qadri that his services as a religious figure and his family’s sacrifices for peace and solidarity with Pakistan were known to everyone.
“Not only youth but elderly men and women have respect not only for Adnan Qadri but also his family and will support him in the forthcoming election”, said Shamsul Amin. He said Adnan Qadri’s family lost four members of his family in militancy a few years ago but they asked their supporters and religious followers to remain in peace. Shams added that Landikotal, Shalman and other adjacent village inmates have announced full support to elect Adnan Qadri on February 8.
This scribe inquired from Allama Adnan Qadri about his quick acceptance and fame among voters he said that former parliamentarians mostly did not pay attention to public grievances in the past. He said not only did he remain with the public in their religious and cultural activities but thousands of his students graduated from his seminaries in Khyber district. He said I worked on spiritually with his students and trained them to serve human beings.
Qadri said the people of Landikotal and Kam and Loey Shalmans have been neglected in various development projects. He said he established 230 religious seminaries across the country where students study science and religious studies so that Pakistani citizens could be scientist-cum religious scholars.
“I am working closely with the people in Landikotal, Jamrud and Mulagori as an Islamic preacher and scholar and spiritually developed their faith and belief in Allah”, Adnan Qadri said.
He assured the people of his constituency that if he availed the provincial assembly seat he would solve their problems on a priority basis.
He clarified that apart from being elected, his mission was to serve his constituency residents through his madrassas and mosques.
Qadri said he would not make hollow promises but believe in social, mental and spiritual development along with human necessities to be fulfilled without any greed.
Adnan said that his followers and voters gave him great respect and honour to whom he was grateful.
He urged that voters had to choose the best person who they believed could serve the general public in the true sense so they could be represented on the assembly floor and raise voices for the deprived and neglected citizens.
