Pakistani scholar. One of Pakistan's well-known intellectuals Javed Ahmed Ghamidi is a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence and exegesis and is the founder of al-Mawrid Institute of Islamic Sciences. Ghamidi has been the founder or editor of several Islamic journals and has lectured widely on Islamic subjects. He was briefly a member of the Council of Islamic Ideology, Pakistan's official Islamic watchdog, until his high-profile resignation following a wrangle with President Musharraf over the Women's protection bill. Author of three major works and numerous articles on Islamic philosophy, law, and jurisprudence, Ghamidi argues for historically contextualising the Qur'an and the Prophet, peace be upon him, as well as updating the Prophetic mission to modern circumstances. Thus he is seen as relatively moderate on issues ranging from the penal code to women's rights. He briefly studied under the tutelage of Jamaat-e-Islami founder Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi on various Islamic disciplines. And one of the most important distinctions between Ghamidi's thought and that of Maududi lies in Ghamidi's downplaying the necessity of establishing an Islamic state. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, son of a Sufi, was born near Pakpattan.