Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi

Naeemi was known for his outspoken views against suicide bombings and militancy, for openly supporting the ongoing operation by Pakistan army in Swat, and for labelling the activities of the Taliban "un-Islamic". In May 2009 he was quoted by Reuters as having said, "The military must eliminate the Taliban once and for all otherwise they will capture the entire country which would be a big catastrophe". Also in May 2009, he took part in a conference of Islamic scholars convened by the government which criticised suicide attacks and the beheading of innocent Muslims as un-Islamic. He advocated equal access to education for women and the use of computers in schools, ideas in contrast with Taliban's harsh interpretation of Islam.

Naeemi had also organised demonstrations against the Taliban as well organising an alliance of religious organisations to oppose the Taliban. Last month the Sunni Ittehad Council announced that they "strongly condemn the Taliban and urge the Pakistan military to eliminate them at the earliest", the council also said it would "unveil the real face of the Taliban before the public" by exposing their brutality. He had also passed a fatwā denouncing suicide bombings, as well as criticising Taliban leader Sufi Muhammad by saying he "should wear bangles if he is hiding like a woman". Naeemi had said "Those who commit suicide attacks for attaining paradise will go to hell, as they kill many innocent people". According to Khalid Zaheer, a Pakistani professor and religious scholar "His argument was simple: Religion does not stand for violence. You can't take the life of any individual, or your own life. And you can't wage jihad against your own state." Naeemi was the driving force behind the Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat Mahaz (TNRM), a group of over 20 Sunni parties raising voice against the violence committed by the Taliban. In January 2009 Tahaffuz-e-Namoos-e-Risalat Mahaz (TNRM) held a conference in Jamia Naeemia and issued a fatwa making Jihad obligatory for all Pakistani citizens in case of an attack by India. In addition it called on Pakistan government to stop cooperating with United States in the event of war with India. The clerics also called upon Pakistan government to "unveil the Indian conspiracies hatched against Pakistan before the world".

Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi Shaheed, (Urdu: سرفراز نعیمی), (16 February 1948 – 12 June 2009) was a Sunni Islamic cleric from Pakistan who was well known for his moderate and anti-terrorist views. He was killed in a suicide bombing in Jamia Naeemia Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan on 12 June 2009, after publicly denouncing the Tehrik-i-Taliban's terrorist actions and ideologies as unislamic.

Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi, son of Mufti Muhammad Hussain Naeemi, was born on 16 February 1948. His ancestors had migrated to Pakistan from Moradabad in India. He was the senior cleric at the Jaamia Naeemia madrasah in Lahore, Pakistan. He became the principal of Jamia Naeemia in 1998 after the death of his father. The school is located in Garhi Shahu neighbourhood of Lahore. He got his early education from Jamia Naeemia and then did PhD from the Punjab University besides a short course from Al-Azhar University, in Egypt. Naeemi has been described as "a humble, moderate and widely respected scholar". He had a reputation of being one of the most progressive clerics in Pakistan. He knew Urdu, Arabic and Persian languages well and wrote columns in newspapers on religious issues and was the editor of monthly Arafat, Lahore. Naeemi, who had been known for his anti-Taliban stances, was earlier head of the Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Pakistan. The organization is tied to several universities in Pakistan and conducts its own exam according to its scheme and syllabus.