JIT to probe theft of nalain-e-pak
The court was informed that the nalain-e-pak were taken to Brunei in 2001 for an exhibition
PHOTO:ONLINE
LAHORE:
Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has ordered constituting a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the theft of nalain-e-pak (shoes) attributed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), from Badshahi Mosque in 2002.
CJP Nisar commenced proceedings over the matter at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry on Sunday. The CJP expressed displeasure over the report presented by the Auqaf department. Rejecting the report, he said it was prepared merely to save and protect the Auqaf department officials from being answerable and interrogations.
Auqaf Secretary Zolifqar Ali Ghuman and other officials appeared before the court. The CJP expressed his displeasure over the theft of the nalain-e-pak and said: “is there anything valuable than the shoes of the holy prophet which you people could not protect”.
Expressing his dismay over the matter, the CJP said it was a matter of shame and embarrassment for the Auqaf department which completely failed to protect the holy relic. At this, the lawyer for the Auqaf department contended the court that 10 investigations had been carried out to date but nothing could be found. The additional advocate general informed the court that the nalain-e-pak were taken to Brunei in 2001 for an exhibition. After that, the nalain-e-pak had been placed in Badshahi Mosque. Later, some visitors revealed in 2002 that the nalain-e-pak had been missing from Badshahi Mosque’s relic section.
Consisting of three members, the CJP ordered the JIT to submit a detailed report in timeframe after completing the course of investigating of the matter.
Petitioner Pir SM Jafri had also been filing several petitions at district and sessions court in the past several years seeking the recovery of the nalain-e-pak stolen from the mosque. Police claimed to have achieved a lot of progress in response to these petitions. Police also claimed that different committees were formed under senior officials. The officials said the investigation had been carried out from all angles, but they remained clueless in the case.
The petitioner had sought a case against 94 respondents, including around 40 police officials, for failing to recover the nalain-e-pak which was stolen in 2002.
In the police report, it was submitted that more than 40 officials of the Badshahi Mosque and others were interrogated during the course of the investigation. He said police found that Hafeezur Rehman and Jan Muhammad, both caretakers at Badshahi Mosque’s relic section, were negligent in their duties. The report further revealed that the newspapers published news items saying that the nalain-e-pak was not brought back to Pakistan after an exhibition in Brunei. However, when they investigated, authorities found that the item had been placed at Badshahi Mosque under Rangers security.
After that, the then governor formed a committee of scholars including Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi and others, while the investigation continued to recover the sacred relic. On March 5, 2014, Rangers Deputy Superintendent Muhammad Sarwar, Lance Naik Noshad Khan and others were interrogated and they said the nalain-e-pak was taken to Brunei under the supervision of Captain Jawad Cheema in 2001. When the Pakistani delegation returned in September of the same year, they boarded a Ranger’s truck and went to Wagah border, adding that the nalain-e-pak was neither brought back nor placed at the Badshahi Mosque under their supervision.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar has ordered constituting a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the theft of nalain-e-pak (shoes) attributed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), from Badshahi Mosque in 2002.
CJP Nisar commenced proceedings over the matter at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry on Sunday. The CJP expressed displeasure over the report presented by the Auqaf department. Rejecting the report, he said it was prepared merely to save and protect the Auqaf department officials from being answerable and interrogations.
Auqaf Secretary Zolifqar Ali Ghuman and other officials appeared before the court. The CJP expressed his displeasure over the theft of the nalain-e-pak and said: “is there anything valuable than the shoes of the holy prophet which you people could not protect”.
Expressing his dismay over the matter, the CJP said it was a matter of shame and embarrassment for the Auqaf department which completely failed to protect the holy relic. At this, the lawyer for the Auqaf department contended the court that 10 investigations had been carried out to date but nothing could be found. The additional advocate general informed the court that the nalain-e-pak were taken to Brunei in 2001 for an exhibition. After that, the nalain-e-pak had been placed in Badshahi Mosque. Later, some visitors revealed in 2002 that the nalain-e-pak had been missing from Badshahi Mosque’s relic section.
Consisting of three members, the CJP ordered the JIT to submit a detailed report in timeframe after completing the course of investigating of the matter.
Petitioner Pir SM Jafri had also been filing several petitions at district and sessions court in the past several years seeking the recovery of the nalain-e-pak stolen from the mosque. Police claimed to have achieved a lot of progress in response to these petitions. Police also claimed that different committees were formed under senior officials. The officials said the investigation had been carried out from all angles, but they remained clueless in the case.
The petitioner had sought a case against 94 respondents, including around 40 police officials, for failing to recover the nalain-e-pak which was stolen in 2002.
In the police report, it was submitted that more than 40 officials of the Badshahi Mosque and others were interrogated during the course of the investigation. He said police found that Hafeezur Rehman and Jan Muhammad, both caretakers at Badshahi Mosque’s relic section, were negligent in their duties. The report further revealed that the newspapers published news items saying that the nalain-e-pak was not brought back to Pakistan after an exhibition in Brunei. However, when they investigated, authorities found that the item had been placed at Badshahi Mosque under Rangers security.
After that, the then governor formed a committee of scholars including Mufti Sarfraz Naeemi and others, while the investigation continued to recover the sacred relic. On March 5, 2014, Rangers Deputy Superintendent Muhammad Sarwar, Lance Naik Noshad Khan and others were interrogated and they said the nalain-e-pak was taken to Brunei under the supervision of Captain Jawad Cheema in 2001. When the Pakistani delegation returned in September of the same year, they boarded a Ranger’s truck and went to Wagah border, adding that the nalain-e-pak was neither brought back nor placed at the Badshahi Mosque under their supervision.