Afghan Biographies

Gilani, Hamid Sayed Pir


Name Gilani, Hamid Sayed Pir
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1955
Function/Grade Ex-MP MNA
History and Biodata

2. Previous Functions:
Islamic Front of Afghanistan NIFA (1979)
Head Political Department NIFA (1980)
Deputy leader and Head Political and Miltary Operations NIFA South, Sothwest, West and Northwest Afghanistan (1982 - 1992)
Member of Leadership council of the Presidency of Islamic State of Afghanistan (1992-1995)
Chairman Peshawar Group 2001
1st Deputy Chairman of the Meshrano Jirga (2005)
Meshrano Jirga Member 2011 MP MNA reappointed, but did not show up
Minister Designate Tribal and Border Affairs (2010),
Leader of NIFA (2017-)
 

3. Biodata:
gailani_hamid_gilaniPir Sayed Hamed Gailani Abdul Hamed Gailani son of Peer Sayed Ahmad Gailani, was born in February 1955 in Kart-e Naqib Sahib in Kabul. After completing his secondary education in Habibia High School in 1972, he served for one year in the Department of External Relations of the Ministry of Justice. He pursued his higher education in Arabic at the Al Azhar University in Cairo in 1974. Between 1974 and 1976, he continued his studies in political science at the National University of Iran, where he received his bachelor's degree. 1987 he completed coursework in Islamic law and jurisprudence at the International University of Islamabad.

Since 1978, Sayed Hamid Gailani has served as deputy leader of Mahaz Milli Islami Party of Afghanistan NIFA. During the Soviet occupation, he struggled for national unity, freedom and the establishment of an Islamic state. As chairman of the Mujahideen Group he participated in the Conference of Islamic Countries.

In 2001, he chaired the Peshawar Group. He is a signatory to the Bonn Agreement. Gailani was elected as the First Deputy Speaker of the Meshrano Jirga in December 2005.  Syed Abdul Hamid Gilani, was defeated at the September 18, 2004 parliamentary polls. The son of Pashtun leader Pir (spiritual leader) Sayed Ahmed Gailani, Sayed Hamid Gailani, failed to be elected from the Pashtun heartland of Paktia. His rival was the new chief of the HIA, Khalid Farooqui.

Instead, Gailani was elected to the senate, where he was appointed deputy speaker. Political pundits and diplomatic circles in Kabul agree that the Americans have invested everything in Gailani and his followers to pitch them as a countervailing force against the Islamists in general and the Taliban in particular. This despite the fact that Gailani calls himself a mujahid and pleads for the implementation of Islamic laws in Afghanistan. He was reappointed Senator 2011, but did not show up. So he lost the seat in Meshrano Jirga.
 

The former deputy head of the Consultative Loya Jirga 2013 on BSA, Sayed Hamid Gilani, refused his participation in the Jirga. He called holding of the Jirga as unnecessary and a waste of time. He said that BSA was part of the long-term strategic cooperation agreement which was signed two years ago between the two countries and urged the Government to implement the agreement. He said that holding of consultative Jirgas will undermine the legitimacy of the Parliament. He added: “If all the decisions [of the government] are referred to such Jirgas, then what will happen to the legitimacy of Parliament and what will be the need for the Parliament? The Government should implement strategic agreement in which the BSA is also included.”(20131029)

Some Wolesi Jirga members on Monday Jan. 8, 2018 strongly condemned recent remarks by Pir Sayed Hamid Gilani and said the National Islamic Front leader wanted to ‘please’ Pakistan. Gilani had two days earlier said: “We do not accept the rumors that Taliban leaders are somewhere else (Pakistan); they say this because of weakness. Because they (the Afghan government and the US) couldn’t do anything else, they lack ability and make pretexts. Most of Taliban leaders are inside Afghanistan.”

In an online statement, Ex NDS Chief Nabil said Tuesday, Jan 09, 2108 that Gilani has repeatedly transported a notorious leader of the Haqqani network in his personal car from Islamabad to Kabul in a bid to organize meeting with the detained Haqqani leader Anas Haqqani.(20180109)

 

Gailani said at a recent meeting in Islamabad that the Afghan government provides the context for India to interfere in Pakistan using Afghanistan soil.  The Directorate of National Security (NDS) said Gailani’s remarks had been against Afghanistan’s interests and that the matter would be referred to judicial departments for investigation. Gailani said he lived in Pakistan for 26 years and two of his daughters live there. He said Pakistan was like his second home.(20180322)

Gailani must appear before the special court on crimes against the national and external security, said AGO spokesman Jamshid Rasuli.  Rasuli went on to say that despite the AGO summoning Gailani to appear before the AGO two days ago, Gailani has so far not appeared. Two weeks ago, Gailani said during a speech in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad that the Afghan government paved the way for India to use Afghan soil against Pakistan. (20180402)

Mahaz-i-Milli Islami party NIFA leader Syed Pir Hamid Gilani has said he prefers peace over next month’s presidential election and his entire efforts evolve around making the peace process a success. (20190827)

After the demise of his father Pir Sayed Ahmed Gailani in 2017 Hamid Gailani as his eldest son became his successor as the spiritual leader and the head of Qadiri tariqa (a sufi order) . The leadership of Qadiriya order derive from heredity rather than religious scholarship.The Qadiriya was founded in Baghdad, Iraq by Abdul-Qadir Gilani and can trace their lineage to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Between 1998 and 2007 Hamid Gailani headed various national Afghan groups and participated in conferences of many organizations.

 

Hamid Gailani is married to his cousin Saqib Gailani. He resides in Karta-e-Naqib, Kabul and with his family living in Islamabad, Pakistan.

He is fluent in Dari, Pashto, Urdu, Arabic and English.

 

Last Modified 2020-04-22
Established 2009-10-13