Syed Munir Hussain Gilani

Syed Munir Hussain Gilani is a politician in Pakistan, who fought for democracy in Pakistan all his life. He has remained the Federal Minister for Education in the interim government of Prime Minister Balkh Sher Mazari.

He is the former Deputy Secretary General of the Pakistan Awami Ittehad. He has been arrested on innumerable occasions during his long political career in the struggle for democracy. After the government of General Zia-ul-Haq went back on its promise to hold general elections in the country, leading political parties got together under the banner of the MRD for the purpose of holding general elections, restoration of fundamental rights of the citizens, removal of restrictions placed on the free functioning of the press and the establishment of an independent judiciary. He was arrested on numerous occasions for taking part in a movement launched by the political parties and politcal Alliances such as MRD, PDA, Pakistan Awami Ittehad and most recently ARD.

After the formation of the Peoples Democratic Alliance prior to the 1990 elections, Syed Munir Hussain Gilani joined PDA for the democratic moment and nominated as Additional General Secretary. The PDA was then the main opposition alliance in Pakistan and it consisted of the Pakistan Peoples Party, the Tehrik-e-Istiqlal and the Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Fiqah Jaferia, the Pakistan Muslim League (Qasim group) and the Pukhtoonkhawa Qoumi Party.

He was appointed Federal Minister for Education in the interim government of Prime Minister Mir Balakh Sher Mazari in 1993. He represented the Nifaz-e-Fiqah-e-Jaferia in that government.

Later he formed his own political party (Islamic Democratic Front) in 1996, and joined Pakistan Awami Ittehad, and later became the Deputy General Secretary Alliance for Restoration of Democracy.

On January 12, 2005 in an important meeting of ARD, Syed Munir Hussain Gilani supported democratic movement in Pakistan as reported by the country's leading newspaper [http://www.dawn.com/2005/01/13/top1.htm] . He also condemned the idea of boycotting the general elections, 2007 held by Gen. Musharraf in All Parties Conference held in London on July 2nd, 2006. (http://www.dawn.com/2006/07/03/index.htm). Sitting 1st from left with Zafar Iqbal Jhagra, Shahbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif & Muhtarma Benezir Bhutto.

Now a days he is keenly writing articles in the leading Urdu newspapers of Pakistan. His various articles has been published by The Daily Jang, The Daily Pakistan, The Daily Express and Daily Din newspaper.