ATC Judge Abdur Rauf heard the two cases on Saturday inside the Central Prison Peshawar where Sufi Muhammad is imprisoned. One of the cases pertains to an attack on the Kabal police station in Swat, while the other is for sedition — inciting people to rebel against the state.
According to the case details, on June 18, 1995, Sufi Muhammad and his accomplices held a demonstration outside the Kabal police station and then allegedly attacked it. Fortunately, no human loss occurred.
The Kabal police have registered a case against the cleric and 800 unidentified people under several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code for attempted murder, waging or attempting to wage war against Pakistan, collecting arms with the intention to wage war against Pakistan and Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.
The other case is regarding an anti-government speech he delivered in Grassy Ground, Mingora on July 30, 2009. The court has summoned the investigation officer of this case, Inspector Gul Rahim, many times but he has not showed up in court.
Therefore, on Saturday, while hearing the cases, the ATC issued an arrest warrant for Rahim and reserved its judgment on the police station attack case for December 17.
A history of violence
A total of 12 cases have been registered against Maulana Sufi Muhammad for murder, treason, arson and sedition. However, to date, he has been acquitted in 10 cases and only two are being heard at the moment.
Maulana Sufi Muhammad is the father-in-law of the chief of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Maulana Fazlullah. He is known for trying to impose Sharia by force in Swat and Malakand and sending volunteers to fight against the US forces in Afghanistan in 2001.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2014.
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Any questions from all those who are against military courts?