LAHORE: Vice Emir of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Pir Zaheerul Hasan Shah, has been arrested after being booked for inciting violence against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Qazi Faez Isa, local media reported on Monday.
The arrest comes after a case was registered against him for a speech made during a protest demonstration in front of the Lahore Press Club against the apex court’s verdict in the Mubarak Sani case.
The case was lodged in Lahore’s Qila Gujjar Sing police station on behalf of Station House Officer (SHO) Hammad Hussain against the TLP leader and 1,500 other party workers for issuing death threats to the chief justice.
The FIR includes provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and those pertaining to spreading anarchy and religious hatred, threatening and pressuring the higher judiciary, interference in state affairs, obstructing in performance of legal duties and others.
It is pertinent to mention that apart from TLP, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S), Mili Yakjehti Council Pakistan (MYC) and Wafaqul Madaris-ul-Arabiya (WMA) have also expressed their opposition to the apex court’s verdict in the said case.
The Supreme Court on Friday clarified that the verdict clearly states that no one can be a Muslim without having faith in the finality of the prophethood of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). ‘State won’t allow fatwas calling for murder,’ it said.
Earlier, the federal government announced that it won’t permit malicious propaganda against the Chief Justice of Pakistan and will take strict action against those responsible for it.
“The state will not allow anyone to issue a fatwa calling for someone’s murder,” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a press conference in Islamabad.
“There should be supremacy of Constitution in the country and justice should prevail. [The state] will not accept dictation aimed towards securing personal interests in the name of politics,” he added.
Planning Minister Iqbal expressing his views termed the threats to the CJP as a “rebellion” against the country’s Constitution adding that no group is allowed to issue fatwas to kill someone.
“Terrorism, suicide attacks and fatwas have nothing to do with Islam […] the government will not allow such attitudes to flourish and will take due action against them,” the minister said.
