High-ranking members of the PIVT announced their resignation

Two members of the Supreme Presidium of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) announced that they are resigning.

On December 30, 2025, Bobodjon Kayumov, who held the position of press secretary of the IRPT, and Mahmudzhan Faizrahmonov, head of the party’s foreign relations department, announced in their joint statement on Facebook that they no longer share the views of this party.

In the joint statement, members of the Supreme Presidium of the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan stated that they reached this decision after three decades of activity.

“We declare that after more than thirty years of active work, we refuse to engage in political Islam. Islamic movements and parties, including the Islamic Revival Party of Tajikistan, are part of this trend and worldview. We no longer have any connections with this trend in ideological and organizational terms,” the statement notes.

In the same statement, they emphasized that this is their personal decision.

“We have concluded that political Islam will ultimately lead to a dead end. This decision is made solely based on personal conviction and the results of prolonged individual research,” the joint statement of Kayumov and Faizrahmonov reads.

Bobodjon Kayumov and Mahmudzhan Faizrahmonov also confirmed their resignation in a conversation with Azda TV, but limited themselves to a brief statement and refrained from additional comments. The deputy chairman of the IRPT, Islomjon Saidov, in a short conversation with Azda TV, also confirmed the resignation of the press secretary and the head of the party’s foreign relations department. “Indeed, they officially announced their resignation at a party meeting that took place on December 26, 2025. The official position of the IRPT will be made public in the coming days,” the party’s deputy chairman stated.

One day before the official announcement by the former IRPT members, Abdulloh Amoniyon published a short post on Facebook:

“A person who respects themselves and has a sense of justice inevitably comes to a moment when the dubious games of ‘individual leaders’ become repugnant to them. And they will definitely leave this group. Long live just men!”

In a conversation with Azda TV, Amoniyon confirmed that this post was a hint at the resignation of the two high-ranking IRPT members, but it remains unclear how he learned about it before the official announcement.

The leader of the “Vatandor” movement, Dododjon Atovulloev, also reported on Facebook about the resignation of Bobodjon Kayumov and Mahmudzhan Faizrahmonov 18 hours before the publication of the official statement.

“Blessed Friday became unblessed for the leader of Tajik Islamists. At a party meeting, two key figures of the party — the head of the external relations department of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan (IRPT) Mahmudjon Faizrahmonov and the party’s press secretary Bobodjon Kayumov resigned and announced that they are no longer members of the IRPT,” he wrote in a comment on one of the posts.

Dododjon Atovulloev stated that they resigned on Friday, December 26 — the very day the IRPT meeting took place. This was also confirmed by the party’s deputy chairman Islomjon Saidov.

Reactions of the public to the resignation of high-ranking IRPT members

Under the joint statement of the two high-ranking party members, users left numerous comments.

Ibrohim Saidnuriddin writes:

“The true followers of this perfect divine religion have nurtured societies, created states, made inventions, defeated empires, built strong empires, achieved the greatest progress in all areas of life, and for centuries governed vast territories — from India to Andalusia — in accordance with the prescriptions of this religion. They were present in both the mosque and the parliament; they performed night prayers and participated in battles; they were preachers on the minbar and ambassadors in other states. They showed the world a great example of humanity and governance and then left. Today, we have neither studied our religion properly nor applied it correctly, and finding ourselves at an impasse, we claim that ‘political Islam will hit a dead end.’ It is shameful to shift one’s own mistakes onto others, and to attribute them to Islam is doubly shameful, unless it is something even worse.”

Saidmukhiddin Dustmuhammadiyon writes:

“People are free to choose their ideas and political path. I respect your decision. But being a human also means apologizing to those who were hurt within the framework of a particular idea or political structure. I wish you both good health.”

Member of the Supreme Presidium of the IRPT Mukhamad Saidrizo writes:

“Whether you remain in any movement, party, or organization or leave it — that is your moral right. But what you assert, that political Islam will hit a dead end, is incorrect. At least, after leaving a religious party, you have no right to claim that the coffin of political Islam is already prepared.”

Abdullo Okilzoda noted:

“Be careful with your wording. Islam is a holistic religion; it is not divided into political and non-political. No part of this pure religion will hit a dead end. It is we who are hitting a dead end.”

The resignation of two members of the Supreme Presidium of the PIVT occurred against the backdrop of another party member, Mukhamadikboli Sadriddin, resigning several months ago in protest against internal reforms of the PIVT and founding the “Reformers” movement. Additionally, after the PIVT was banned in 2015, former deputy chairman of the party Mukhamadkarimi Orzu announced his resignation during his son’s wedding in Vienna.

In the summer of this year, the PIVT conducted structural reforms, approved a new charter, and held elections, resulting in the re-election of then-leader Mukiddin Kabiri as chairman for another four years. Three deputies and several new members of the Supreme Presidium of the PIVT were also elected. It remains unclear whether the resignation of the press secretary and head of the external relations department is a consequence of these reforms. Time will tell what these changes will lead to and what the future path of the PIVT will be.