ATC to indict TLP leaders on March 16

Distributes copies of challan among Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Pir Afzal Qadri, others

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday distributed copies of a challan among the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) top leaders including Khadim Hussain Rizvi and Pir Afzal Qadri, who are accused of damaging properties and making speeches against state institutions.

The ATC later postponed the hearing of the case until March 16 when the TLP leaders would be indicted. Earlier, jail officials presented octogenarian Qadri and wheelchair-bound Rizvi in the court.

Lawyers Murtaza Ali Pirzada, Tahir Minhas and Nasir Minhas appeared in the court on behalf of the accused. Strict security arrangements were made on the occasion as a large number of TLP supporters had gathered outside the premises to receive their leaders. The TLP workers shouted slogans and showered rose petals on the vehicles bringing the party leaders.

The TLP’s top leaders had been rounded up on November 24 in a massive crackdown launched ahead of the party’s rally from Rawalpindi to Islamabad to celebrate the first anniversary of its sit-in at Islamabad’s Faizabad interchange against controversial changes in lawmakers’ oath.



The crackdown had been launched just weeks after the party’s countrywide protests in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to acquit a blasphemy convict, Aasia Bibi. The government had struck a deal with the protesters at the end of the protests that had paralysed the entire country for three days.