Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan (S.M.P) (English: Soldiers of Muhammad) was a Shia organisation and political party in Pakistan. It was formed in 1993 by Allama Mureed Abbas Yazdani. Its headquarters is in Thokar Niaz Beg, Lahore.

History

Maulana Mureed Abbas Yazdani formed Sipa-e-Muhammad Pakistan in 1993. It is believed to be the armed wing of Tehreek-e-Jafria Pakistan. Its leader was Ghulam Raza Naqvi who was imprisoned in 1996 and released in 2014. Since his death in 2016, it is unclear who leads the group. Yazdani's nephew Malik Muhammad Wasi Ul Baqar is attempting to take control of Sipah-e-Muhammad Pakistan

Activities

Sipah-e-Muhammad's primary aim was to target the sectarian leadership of the banned terrorist Deobandi militia Sipah-e-Sahaba or Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. However, with the subsequent rise in the violence against Shia Muslims, it was claimed to be reforming. The movement was strong in various Shia communities in Pakistan, and in the majority Shia town of Thokar Niaz Beg of Lahore, the party ran a "virtual state within a state" in the 1990s.

Affiliations

Sipah-e-Muhammad is alleged to have ties with Iran.

Designation

The Government of Pakistan designated Sipah-e-Muhammad a terrorist organization in 2002; it is classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under U.S. law, and its finances are blocked worldwide by the US government.