Will take action against Maulana Aziz if 'he breaks the law': Nisar

The interior minister says if anyone has evidence against the Lal Masjid cleric, it should be brought to his knowledge

The country's top security czar has said action will be taken against Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz if he "breaks the law".

"If there is any evidence, do bring them to us," Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali said while addressing a news conference in Taxila on Tuesday.

"I know about the civil society raising political slogans against the government," he said, adding that the movement was built up against Maulana Aziz in the wake of Peshawar's Army Public School attack in December 2014.

While pointing out the decision taken during his last tenure, Chaudhry Nisar said Maulana Aziz was restricted from delivering Friday sermons during his rule.

"People say things on their own. I have never said there was no case against Maulana Abdul Aziz. I have never said so," the minister said. "Of the 23 cases against him, 12 are very serious."

Nisar said he had suggested to constitute a commission on the matter to reach to the truth, but to no avail. "I did not appoint him for the mosque, rather I stopped him from speaking at the mosque."



'Da'ish not present in Pakistan, local outfits using Islamic State's name'

Dispelling rumours about the Islamic State group in Pakistan, Chaudhry Nisar reiterated that Da'ish’s hierarchy did not exist in Pakistan and local militant organisations are working under the garb of the Middle Eastern-terror outfit.

“Local terrorists have been launching terror attacks in Pakistan even before the formation of Da'ish,” he said.

The interior minister urged media outlets in the country to stop giving coverage to the proscribed group as it would help them disseminate their terrorist ideology.

Some media outlets, he claimed, were projecting the image of the IS in the country. “We will eliminate all those terror organisations who are using the name of Da'ish or any other global terror outfit.”

Nisar remarks about the IS came after DG Intelligence Bureau Aftab Sultan said a week ago that the Islamic State’s presence is growing in Pakistan.

Addressing the Senate standing committee on interior and narcotics control, chaired by former interior minister Rehman Malik, Sultan said banned outfits – namely Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP)– are reorganising themselves, with presence of Da'ish more prominent than before.

The IB chief also said that all local militant groups including LeJ and SSP have a soft corner for Da'esh.