ATC sentences TLP chief's brother, nephew to 55 years in prison

Convicts ordered to collectively submit around Rs13 million in fines

ISLAMABAD: An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi has handed down a prison term of 55 years each to 86 activists and supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) including the brother and nephew of its chief, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, on charges of rioting and clashing with police in 2018.

Announcing the verdict on late Thursday night, the court also slapped a collective fine of around Rs13 million on Rizvi’s brother Ameer Hussain Rizvi, nephew Mohammad Ali and the other convicts.

Failure to pay the fine will increase their jail time by 146 years. The court also ordered the authorities to seize their movable and immovable assets.

After the judgment was announced, the convicts were moved to Attock jail by Punjab’s Elite Force under heavy security.

The convicts were booked for staging violent protests and clashing with the police over the arrest of their party chief.
Rizvi was arrested by police in a raid on his residence in Lahore in a massive crackdown against the TLP leaders and activists in the last week of November 2018.

The activists and supporters of the organisation led by the firebrand cleric had staged violent protests and vandalised public and private properties across the country bringing life to a grinding halt for three days after the Supreme Court on October 31, 2018 acquitted blasphemy accused, Aasia Bibi, for want of evidence.

In his immediate reaction, Prime Minister Imran Khan had warned the protesters not to incite people to violence or else the state would perform its duty to protect the life and property of its citizens.
The TLP protesters stayed put disregarding the warning and staged new protests.



Hundreds of TLP activists and supporters were rounded up and booked for under terrorism charges at various police stations.

In Lahore, the police registered 11 cases against 1,500 people including TLP leaders Rizvi and patron-in-chief Pir Afzal Qadri for blocking roads and creating law and order situation.

In Faisalabad, the police had registered 29 cases against 3,000 protestors and arrested 218 persons from across the district.

In Chiniot three cases were registered and 13 persons arrested. Two cases were registered against 300 men in Sargodha and two in Jhang against 150 people. Twelve of these people were arrested.

In Okara, an FIR was registered against 200 people. Twenty of them were later released on bail. The Rawalpindi police also registered 18 cases against hundreds of TLP workers.

In Islamabad two cases were registered against more than 100 activists and supporters. In Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar and Pehlwan Goth areas, three persons were arrested for firing and forcing people to shut down their businesses.

In November last year, an anti-terrorism court Rizvi, TLP patron-in-chief Peer Afzal Qadri and others on charges of sedition and terrorism for allegedly delivering anti-state speeches and inciting violence.

Rizvi had criticised state institutions including the government, military and the judiciary on numerous occasions, most notably after a failed round of negotiations between the TLP and the government.