PM Imran, Dr Umar Saif among top influential Muslims

KARACHI: Prime Minister Imran Khan and top Pakistani scientists including Professor Atta-ur-Rehman, Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, Dr Umar Saif and Dr Irfan Siddiqui have been named among "World's 500 Most Influential Muslims".PM Imran has been ranked in 29th place on the list of Top 50 influential Muslim leaders — an index topped by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The list, compiled annually by Jordan-based Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, also included Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad and Saudi Arabia King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud.From Pakistan, there are a number of prominent personalities who have been ranked highly among the world leaders — one of which is  Dr Umar Saif . Dr Saif — an award-winning computer scientist, entrepreneur and innovator — has contributed immensely towards digital governance in Punjab. He established Pakistan’s first IT university in what is the country's most populous province.Dr Saif is one of the main driving forces behind the IT ecosystem in the country. The Punjab Information Technology Board, which he founded, has revolutionised the way public governance is seen and done in the country.In 2014, he was conferred Sitara-e-Imtiaz — one of the highest civilian awards in the country — in recognition of his services to the country.Another noted Pakistan on the list is Nobel laureate Malala Yousufzai who is named in the category of ‘Social Issues, Arts, Culture, and Sports’.Religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel from Faislabad is at no 23rd in the ‘Scholars and Preachers’ category. Maulana Tariq has a huge following and many celebrities are among his followers who seek guidance from him.In the 'Science and Technology' category, only seven high-achievers made it to the list from the Asia region, including the aforementioned Pakistani quartet, as well as Indonesia's Tri Mumpuni, Malaysia's Dr Sheikh Muszhapar Shukkor and Thailand's Professor Dr Winai Dahlan.Top 50 Muslim InfluentialsPresident Recep Tayyip Erdogan (President of the Republic of Turkey)King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al‑Saud (King of Saudi Arabia)King Abdullah II Ibn Al‑Hussein (King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan)Grand Ayatollah Hajj Sayyid Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran)King Mohammed VI (King of Morocco)Justice Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Usmani (Religoius Scholar)Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Hussein Sistani (Marja of the Hawza, Najaf, Iraq)Sheikh Al‑Habib Umar bin Hafiz (Director of Dar Al Mustafa, Tarim, Yemen)Professor Dr Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad Al‑Tayyeb Grand Sheikh of Al‑Azhar University, Grand Imam of Al‑Azhar Mosque)Sheikh Salman Al‑Ouda (Saudi scholar and educator)Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah (President of the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies)Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id Al‑Sa’id (Sultan of Oman)Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman(Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia)Hajji Muhammad Abdul-Wahhab (Amir of Tablighi Jamaat, Pakistan)HH General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al‑Nahyan (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi)President Joko Widodo (President of Indonesia)President Muhammadu Buhari (President of Nigeria)Sheikh Dr Ali Gomaa Former (Grand Mufti of the Arab Republic of Egypt)Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamid Al‑Thani (Emir of Qatar)Professor Dr KH Said Aqil Siradj (Chairman of Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama)Amirul Mu’minin Sheikh As-Sultan Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar III (Sultan of Sokoto)Sheikh Ahmad Tijani bin Ali Cisse (Leader of the Tijaniyya Sufi Order)Seyyed Hasan Nasrallah Secretary-General of HezbollahSheikh Habib ‘Ali Zain Al Abideen Al‑Jifri (Director General of the Tabah Foundation)Sheikh Hamza Yusuf Hanson (Teacher and Co-Founder of Zaytuna College)Sheikh Abdul-Aziz ibn Abdullah Aal Al‑Sheikh (Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)Sheikha Munira Qubeysi (Leader of the Qubeysi)Rached Ghannouchi (Tunisian Politician)Imran Khan (Prime Minister of Pakistan)Sheikh Dr Yusuf Al‑Qaradawi (Head of the International Union of Muslim Scholars)Moez Masoud (Preacher and Televangelist)Maulana Mahmood Madani (Leader and Executive Member of Jamiat Ule-ma-e-Hind, India)Dr Amr Khaled (Preacher and Social Activist)Mustafa Hosny (Preacher)Sheikh Usama Al‑Sayyid (Al‑Azhari Scholar)HH Shah Karim Al‑Hussayni, The Aga Khan IV (The Aga Khan)Habib Luthfi bin Yahya (Preacher)Sheikh Abdul-Malik Al‑Houthi (Leader of the Houthis)Sheikh Mahmud Effendi (Turkish Scholar and Preacher)Maulana Tariq Jameel (Pakistani Scholar and Preacher)Halimah Yacob (President of Singapore)Sheikh Muhammad Al‑Yaqoubi (Scholar)Professor Dr Seyyed Hossein Nasr (Philosopher and University Professor)Mahathir Mohamad (Prime Minister of Malaysia)Sheikh Uthman Taha (Calligrapher)Mohammed Salah (Footballer)Sheikh Muqtada Sadr (Scholar and Politician)HE Dr Aref Ali Nayed (Scholar)Ahed Tamimi (Palestinian Activist)Mohamed Bechari (Political)