FIR against cleric: Police directed to submit reply in two weeks

A court was petitioned to order registration of a case against the cleric

ISLAMABAD: A district and sessions court on Thursday granted time to the Aabpara police to submit a reply to an application seeking the registration of a case against Lal Masjid cleric Abdul Aziz for hate speech.

The alleged campaign of hate speech on social media was directed against security forces.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Raja Asif Mehmood allowed Aabpara police SHO to file the reply on the issue till February 27 on a petition filed by a citizen, Khurram Zaki, who sought the registration of the FIR against Aziz. The petitioner has made the Aabpara SHO a respondent.

The petitioner stated that Aziz has uploaded a video on Jamia Hafsa’s Facebook page in which he has levelled ‘baseless and hateful allegations’ against Pakistan’s intelligence agencies.

He contended that Aziz has intentionally tried to spread hatred against the security forces on sectarian lines.

“Aziz has knowingly tried to divide Pakistan’s security organs, which is harmful and dangerous,” he said.

Zaki said that he filed an application with the Aabpara police for registering an FIR, but the police did not register a case. “The respondent is using delaying tactics for no reason,” he said.

On Feb 2, Aziz was granted pre-arrest bail in two criminal cases against a surety bonds of Rs50,000 each. Following the hearing, the case was adjourned till February 27.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 12^th,  2016