Police register second case against Lal Masjid cleric for violating lockdown orders

Maulana Abdul Aziz yet to be arrested for violating section 144 and displaying weapons

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police on Saturday registered a second case against former khateeb (prayer leader) of Lal Masjid Maulana Abdul Aziz for defying the government's ban on Friday congregational prayer.

The Abpara police booked Aziz and Abdul Sattar for violating the section 144, which was imposed to ensure implementation of social distancing measures to control the spread of coronavirus.

This is the second time the firebrand cleric has been booked for the same offence, but he is yet to be arrested.

Congregational Friday prayer has been banned by the district government amid the increase in the number of local Covid-19 cases.

According to the police, Aziz held the weekly prayer without taking any preventive measures against Covid-19 and also displayed weapons.



Last week, Abpara police had registered a similar First Information Report (FIR) against Aziz and seven others on charges of provoking people against the state, playing jihadi anthems and organising congregational prayer despite the ban.

The police officials said that they were on-duty near the mosque when they heard an announcement from the mosque’s loudspeakers for Friday prayer.

Aziz had said that they did not accept orders of a state that followed "international agenda", adding that they would only abide by their own rules and laws.