Petition filed against Khadim Hussain Rizvi, non-state actors for assaulting ex-airforce officer

A petition has been filed by Rana Abdul Qayyum Advocate, former Chief Warrant Officer of Pakistan Air Force, against non-state actors for "illegal detainment, beaten, abused, given death threats and deprived of Rs25,000."

The petition, submitted to Islamabad High Court, states that the sit-in (dharna) by non-state actors under the leadership of Lahore based fireband cleric is violating fundamental rights of the citizens of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and surrounding areas.

Khadim Hussain Rizvi is leading a rally to the capital on the issue of Khatm-e-Nabuwat, or belief in the finality of the Prophethood.



The petition reads, "That on 10-11-2017 about 12 AM the petitioner [Rana Abdul Qayyum Advocate s/o Atta Muhammad] came back from District Courts Islamabad after attending his cases to his home in Ghori Town Islamabad. On reaching near Faizabad Bridge, his motorcycle was stopped by some non-state actors who had blocked Islamabad Express Highway."

"They were armed with rods and sticks and did not let any vehicle or motorcycle to pass through the Express Highway. When the petitioner asked them the reason for blocking the public road, they started hurling filthy abuses to the petitioner and lawyers in general. They held the petitioner from the neck and threw him on the ground, and started beating him with sticks and kicks and punches and kept saying that you are “munafiq” and “Kafir”."

The petition also includes the mention of a "Pir Sahab" who "came and picked up the petitioner with the help of other men and threw him in a van and again started beating him with sticks and punches. The self-styled pir was saying that “this lawyer is an apostate and he should be killed and should not be left".

"That the petitioner was then taken to other side of the bridge where two othe persons were also lying injured. There the petitioner was again beaten. Then a man with a white beard came and started inquiring the petitioner. The petitioner informed him that he is retired from the Pakistan Air Force as the chief Warrant Officer and since then is a practicing lawyer. The person introduced himself as a retired Chief Tech Officer of Pakistan Air Force and his name was Hafeez. He gave the petitioner his mobile number and informed that he was in-charge of that sit-in (dharna). He left the petitioner on the condition that he will bring all ex-servicemen in the evening to join their sit-in. H then returned the mobile phone, wallet and motorcycle of petitioner."

The petition also included how this sit-in has curbed the rights of the people, "That these non-state actors have blocked the main entry route between Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Due to the illegal seating of the capital, the petitioner along with other residents of Islamabad cannot travel to their workplace and students cannot go to their educational institutions".

The petition also included that Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddique held that, "In order to ensure the protection of life security person property and other fundamental rights of the citizens of the ICT the state is duty bound to protect these rights and take all remedial steps in accordance with law and if any attempt is made to block or lock down ICT or any effort is made to disrupt the normal life os the city, the administration has the authority to deal with the situation as per mandate of law".



The cleric’s main demand is that the government identify and punish those responsible for the recent controversy surrounding change of Khatm-e-Nabuwat clause in election law.

Faizabad intersection, which is the main gateway between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, has been closed since Wednesday afternoon owing to the rally.

Rizvi’s entry to Islamabad had already been banned by the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration during Muharram as a precautionary measure to maintain peace.

The authorities had warned the cleric against taking out the rally without obtaining a NOC. Not only the organisers have no NOC from the authorities, they are also in open violation of the Islamabad High Court orders that all rallies be held in Parade Ground area only.