Restricting movement: Exit control sought for blasphemy accused
Waleeha Arafat was granted bail by the SC
Waleeha Arafat was granted bail by the SC. PHOTO: AFP
LAHORE:
An additional district and sessions judge on Wednesday fixed an application seeking the inclusion of a blasphemy accused in the Exit Control List (ECL) for hearing by March 16.
Supreme Court Advocate Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry, who filed the application, told the court that Waleeha Arafat had been granted after-arrest bail by the Supreme Court (SC) on October 15, 2015. He said she was legally obliged to appear at each and every hearing. Chaudhry said she had failed to appear before the court following her release from prison.
He said the accused had failed to appear before the court since November 4, 2015. Chaudhry said five hearings had passed without her showing up. He said he feared that she would manage to flee from the country.
The advocate requested the court to order the inclusion of Arafat’s name in the ECL and confiscation of her passport. The judge fixed the next date for hearing the application following the conclusion of arguments.
It is worth mentioning that the blasphemy accused had sought bail four times but her request had been declined as possessing no merit. She was later granted bail by the apex court. Arafat also attempted suicide during her incarceration. In 2013, during earlier proceedings, she had told the court that some women in judicial lockup had mused that “she merited to be killed as she had blasphemed.”
In an FIR of the alleged blasphemy incident, complainant Abdul Muanam Shah had alleged that he was on patrol in Punjab Society near Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on March 3, 2012 at 5am when he encountered one Saima Bibi, a neighbour of Arafat’s, raising a hue and cry. He said she had told him that Arafat had desecrated two copies of the Holy Quran. Shah said he had found her with two desecrated copies of the Holy Quran when he entered her house along with one Boota, a resident of the area.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2016.
An additional district and sessions judge on Wednesday fixed an application seeking the inclusion of a blasphemy accused in the Exit Control List (ECL) for hearing by March 16.
Supreme Court Advocate Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry, who filed the application, told the court that Waleeha Arafat had been granted after-arrest bail by the Supreme Court (SC) on October 15, 2015. He said she was legally obliged to appear at each and every hearing. Chaudhry said she had failed to appear before the court following her release from prison.
He said the accused had failed to appear before the court since November 4, 2015. Chaudhry said five hearings had passed without her showing up. He said he feared that she would manage to flee from the country.
The advocate requested the court to order the inclusion of Arafat’s name in the ECL and confiscation of her passport. The judge fixed the next date for hearing the application following the conclusion of arguments.
It is worth mentioning that the blasphemy accused had sought bail four times but her request had been declined as possessing no merit. She was later granted bail by the apex court. Arafat also attempted suicide during her incarceration. In 2013, during earlier proceedings, she had told the court that some women in judicial lockup had mused that “she merited to be killed as she had blasphemed.”
In an FIR of the alleged blasphemy incident, complainant Abdul Muanam Shah had alleged that he was on patrol in Punjab Society near Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on March 3, 2012 at 5am when he encountered one Saima Bibi, a neighbour of Arafat’s, raising a hue and cry. He said she had told him that Arafat had desecrated two copies of the Holy Quran. Shah said he had found her with two desecrated copies of the Holy Quran when he entered her house along with one Boota, a resident of the area.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2016.