Hajj scam: Court extends Kazmi's remand by 5 days

Activists from religious organisations stage demonstration against arrest of Hamid Saeed Kazmi.


Express March 21, 2011

LAHORE: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday extended the physical remand of Former Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi by five days.

The Federal Investigation Agency presented Kazmi in the court after the expiration of his 5-day physical remand.

Earlier, the FIA had requested for a 14-day remand, but the court had given them custody for only five days.

Kazmi will now appear in court on March 26, 2011.

Talking to the media outside the court, Kazmi appealed to his supporters to refrain from resorting to violence and asked them to stage peaceful demonstrations.

Updated from print edition (below)

‘Let Kazmi go’: Religious groups rally in support

Activists from several religious organisations staged a protest demonstration against the arrest of former federal minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi on Sunday.

The protesters sported placards and banners and chanted slogans against the FIA and in favour of Kazmi. The protesters included activists of Jamaat Ahl-i-Sunnat, Sunni Tehrik (ST), Anjuman Tulba Islam and Tanzimul Saeed. ST leader Nawaz Kharal said that Kazi’s arrest without any proof of alleged corruption was more than a political vendetta. ST president Mujahid Abdul Rasool Naqashbandi said “a court has released Raymond Davis accused of double murder but no court is able to provide relief to an innocent Kazmi”. He said that the parties would stage protests all over the country and demanded that all cases against Kazmi be withdrawn.

Qari Faisal Naqashbandi said that the government “was putting an end to the democratic process by arresting politicians”. He said that the FIA could find nothing against Kazmi after investigating him for five months. Naqashbandi said that if the government didn’t release the former minister, it would be responsible for the consequences.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21st, 2011.

COMMENTS (19)

A.ghaffar dawood | 12 years ago | Reply It is a matter of unbelievable hypocrisy on the part of the people to demonstrate against thearrest of a man involved in corruption cases.They should only demonstrate in the if their leader is arrested for his beliefs which the ruling party thinks is contrary to national interest or their interest. Even in the case of moons elahis arrest there were demonstrations against his arrest. This the novel way of making corrupt people HEROES.
Tariq | 13 years ago | Reply Leaders who are corrupt should get greater punishment than the regular citizen, simply beause these people violate the public trust. This man should be stoned to death in accordance with Quran and Sunnah or at the least his hands be cut off, just as his sect and other Islamic parties want for everyone else. I guess when he gets his Islamic punishment, maybe his buddies will try to see it another way and maybe they will get a bit civilized
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