Implementation on court orders to arrest Khadim Rizvi, others underway: police

Arrest warrants issued in at least 21 cases relating to last year's Faizabad sit-in

ISLAMABAD: Police in the federal capital claimed to have started executing court orders pertaining to the arrest of Khadim Hussain Rizvi and others involved in last year’s Faizabad sit-in.

The arrest warrants for Rizvi and others were issued by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) and the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over their continued failure to appear before the courts in hearings for the sit-in.

A total of 27 criminal cases were registered against Tehreek-e-Labbaik-Ya Rasool Allah (TLYRA) cleric and other sit-in participants by the capital police for challenging the write of government as they blocked the Faizabad inter-change for almost three weeks, confronting and attacking law enforcement agencies officials and damaging public property.



Speaking to The Express Tribune, Islamabad police said arrest warrants had been issued in at least 21 cases of the similar nature.

While most of the cases were lodged by police, some were registered on complaints of citizens. One such case is that of a nine-month old child who died on the way to the hospital on November 9 due to a traffic jam caused by the blockade.

The sit-in ended on November 27 after an agreement brokered by the military between Faizabad demonstrators and the federal government.

It may be mentioned that one of the demands approved in the agreement, signed by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, ISI official Major-General Faiz Hamid and TLYRA leaders,  was to dismiss all police cases against them and release of those arrested.

However, the cases were not quashed by the authorities and are open to date.

“District magistrate can withdraw the cases under Section 494 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) but until that happens the cases are open and police would take action,” a police officer told The Express Tribune.



He added that the nominated suspects will be arrested if they do not surrender or obtain bail from relevant courts.

Apart from 27 cases registered in Islamabad, several FIRs were also lodged against the protesters and their leaders in the neighbouring Rawalpindi.

An amendment in the Election Act 2017 relating to the oath of Khatm-e-Nabuwat (the finality of Prophethood) triggered the TLYRA protest, featuring a 21-day-long sit-in at the federal capital’s Faizabad Interchange.

The protesters forced the government to accept their demands after an operation to break up the sit-in went awry and the protests spread to several parts the country.