Islamabad court turns down request to lift ban on Shia scholar

Sends case to district magistrate to resolve as per the law

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court Wednesday dismissed a petition requesting the court to set aside an order of the district administration barring a Shia scholar from entering the capital and delivering sermons.

Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi heard a petition filed by the chairman of the Markazi Asna Ashri Trust Imambargah.

The trust had requested the court to set aside the notification and allow scholar Hafiz Tassadaq Hussain to enter the city and address congregations.

After hearing arguments from the petitioner and going through the records, the court dismissed the petition declaring it not maintainable.

In the order, Justice Qureshi observed that inadequate measures had been taken for effective delivery of notices as disclosed by petitioner’s counsel, adding that the notices should have been served directly to the people whose names had been specifically mentioned by the district administration.

The judge further noted that this was a matter which should be clarified or rectified by a district magistrate.

“Without passing any further order, I would like to remand this case to the district magistrate with the direction to follow the procedure laid down under the law and after effectively serving the notice to the concerned persons,” Justice Qureshi said.

The court further said that an opportunity be provided to the petitioners to approach the government to seek an adequate solution to their problem under the law.

On September 26, the capital administration had banned the entry of 16 clerics of various sects for a period of two months.

The step was taken on the advice of the special branch of police to maintain peace in the city during Muharram.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2016.