Lucknow (UP): Renowned senior advocate and secretary of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) Zafaryab Jilani passed away in Lucknow on Wednesday. He was 74.
Jilani was also the convenor of the Babri Masjid Action Committee and fought the case for several years. He had also been the Additional Advocate General of Uttar Pradesh. Unwell for a long time, Jilani was admitted to the hospital in Nishatganj, where he breathed his last at around 11.50 am today. He is survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.
The last rites of Jilani will be performed at Aishbagh cemetery in Lucknow Wednesday evening. Senior cleric Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali said, "Zafaryab Jilani contested the Babri Masjid case in various courts and was also the convenor of the Babri Masjid Action Committee along with being the secretary of various educational institutions. I hope that Allah gives him absolution and strength to the people he has left behind."
Jilani completed his law degree from Aligarh Muslim University before he started to actively participate in issues related to Muslims which brought him close to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board in 1978. In 1985, he became a member of the board. Jilani's performance was soon recognized and he was made the convener of the Personal Law Board Action Committee in connection with the Shah Bano case.
Two years after the Babri Masjid Action Committee came into existence, it was transformed into a national-level organization and renamed the All India Babri Masjid Action Committee, with Jilani appointed as the National Level Convener. Jilani was popular among Muslims in India due to his association with the Babri Masjid case.
Jilani was also a leading activist on Muslim issues and a leading authority on issues related to Muslim Personal Law and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He was also associated with several non-governmental organizations including Anjuman Islah al-Muslimeen.
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