Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana

Seyed Ali Zahir Moulana (born 25 June 1956) is a Sri Lankan politician, former diplomat and local government activist.

He is most known for the pivotal and important role he played in bringing about an end to the Sri Lankan Civil War.

For his post-secondary education, he attended Jamal Mohamed College in Trichy, India, obtaining a bachelor's degree in commerce, and immediately thereafter the University of California, Los Angeles, US, obtaining a master's degree in computer science in 1987.

He has been politically active since 1988, and is the current Member of Parliament for the Batticaloa District, the only directly elected Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Parliamentarian in the current Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Moulana then returned to Sri Lanka in 1988 and entered active politics.

Two nights prior, they had overrun and demolished the Eravur Police Station leaving the populace virtually helpless.

Moulana was the first on the scene, and with the help of the Minister of Defense Ranjan Wijeratne, an army camp was established in Moulana's own home to help prevent further attacks from taking place on the people.

He was previously elected as a Member of Parliament for the Batticaloa District, under the United National Party from August 16, 1994, until his resignation on June 23, 2004.

In March 1994, Local Government Elections were held in northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka.

Moulana formed an independent party and contested as its chief candidate in the Eravur Pradeshiya Sabha elections.

His party was elected with a large majority, and as the highest polled, he was unanimously elected Chairman of the Eravur Pradeshiya Sabha.

Prior to the Parliamentary elections in August 1994, Moulana and his supporters were invited by then President D.B. Wijetunga to join the United National Party (UNP).

Owing to the rise in popularity of the sectarian Sri Lanka Muslim Congress led by its founder leader M. H. M. Ashraff in the region, his dissent towards communal politics and interest towards pursuing a national identity for the Muslim community led Moulana to accept the invitation, and he subsequently contested and won the 1994 General Election with the UNP for the Batticaloa District, and was an opposition Member of Parliament.

Around 5:40 pm on December 9, 1995, Moulana and another UNP MP Jayalath Jayawardena were travelling to Batticaloa from Colombo, when their convoy was ambushed along the A15 highway in Kiran by around 40 members of the LTTE.

After 11 minutes of intense fighting, the convoy managed to enter the cover of the nearby Sittandy army camp.

Moulana and Jayawardena escaped unhurt, although two of Moulana's bodyguards were killed in the attempt, while 5 others sustained injuries.

In the December 2001 General Elections, the UNP swept to power and formed the government with Ranil Wickremesinghe, the leader of the UNP appointed as the new Prime Minister.

Moulana was appointed as Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister.

The government then set about on its plan for the cessation of hostilities through a Norwegian government brokered ceasefire with the LTTE.

During this time, peace talks commenced between the government and LTTE on a political solution to the ethnic crisis.

Moulana was tasked with developing a dialogue with LTTE leaders in the grassroots, and promote the UNP government's plan for development and reconciliation with the dissidents.

By doing so, Moulana worked closely with the LTTE leadership, developing a close working relationship especially with Colonel Karuna Amman (alias Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan), the LTTE's Eastern Commander and overall Military Leader and strategist, and one of Velupillai Prabhakaran's most trusted lieutenants.

By building good relationships with the LTTE, the UNP government was able to provide the general populace amenities that they were deprived of for decades.

At Moulana's initiative and under his direct supervision in a period of two years the Badulla-Chenkaladi A5 highway was reopened, railway lines were reconstructed and train services resumed to Batticaloa from Colombo after 10 years, and the first project of electrification for rural uncleared areas in Sri Lanka were carried out providing over 3000 homes with electricity.

Moulana is most noted for his orchestration of the defection of prominent members of the LTTE guerrilla group, including its one-time Military Commander Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (Colonel Karuna), from the terror outfit to the government in 2004.

He resigned his seat in Parliament shortly thereafter due to the rising threat on his life from the LTTE.

He remained a Member of Parliament until his resignation on June 23, 2004.

In early 2004, Colonel Karuna began lamenting to Moulana of his displeasure with the LTTE leader on the insufficient distribution of resources and power towards the Tamils resident in eastern Sri Lanka.

Moulana saw this is an indication of a possible significant split emerging within the LTTE, and informed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of this development.

He was instructed by the Prime Minister to covertly "keep the door open with Karuna".

In February 2004, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga dissolved parliament and called for fresh elections.

This led to the UNP government's operations with respect to the ceasefire to come to a temporary halt until elections were held.

Moulana however, continued to keep tabs on Karuna.

When Karuna continued to express to Moulana of his dissatisfaction with the LTTE leadership, especially with his startling revelation that the LTTE did not intend to follow through with their commitment to the peace process, and were merely regrouping, Moulana realised that with the clear intention of the LTTE revealed, the only way a lasting peace can be restored in Sri Lanka is by defeating the LTTE militarily, and the only way the Sri Lankan government can defeat the LTTE is with Karuna on their side.

Moulana then over a series of meetings with the Colonel began to convince him to defect from the LTTE and enter the democratic mainstream where he can voice his opinions on behalf of his people on a political platform.

In March 2004, Colonel Karuna officially announced in two letters that he sent to the LTTE leadership with copies to the international media that he was renouncing his LTTE membership, along with 5000 troops loyal to him in the districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara.

Moulana thereafter was appointed as a high-ranking diplomat at the Embassy of Sri Lanka to the United States., and upon his return to Sri Lanka in 2010, he resumed his political career by being elected as the Mayor of Eravur, and thereafter as a Member of the Eastern Provincial Council and held that position until his re-election to Parliament in August 2015.

He served as Minister of State for Primary Industries and Social Empowerment in the Maithripala Sirisena government from 2015 to 2019.

Moulana grew up in Eravur, and attended Aligarh Central College in Eravur for his primary education, and thereafter the Jesuit-run St. Michael's College for his secondary education.

He is the State Minister of Social Empowerment, appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena on 21 December 2018.