An FIR under blasphemy laws was lodged against PTI chief and former prime minister Imran Khan and other leaders of the previous government in Faisalabad, it surfaced on Sunday, over the recent incident of pilgrims, apparently supporters of the party, surrounding Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's delegation in Masjid-i-Nabwi and shouting slogans.
بریکنگ نیوز :سابق وزیر اعظم اورچئیرمین پاکستان تحریک انصاف عمران خان @ImranKhanPTI
— Asad Kharal (@AsadKharal) April 30, 2022
فواد چودھری @fawadchaudhry ، شیخ رشید ، شہباز گل @SHABAZGIL سمیت 150سے زائد افراد کے خلاف
Blasphemyکے الزامات کےتحت فیصل آباد میں مقدمہ درج کرلیا گیا ہے #EXCLUSIVE #BreakingNews #Blasphemy pic.twitter.com/1Qu6t3seav
The charges have been registered under sections 295, 295-A, 296, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The sections relate to harming a place of worship with intent to insult a religion, deliberate and malicious intent to outrage religious sentiment, disturbing religious assembly and abetment.
Those who are named in the FIR include 150 people – Imran, Shahbaz Gill, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Fawad Chaudhry, Qasim Suri, Sahibzada Jahangir and Aneel Musarrat. Rashid’s nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq has also been nominated in the case.
Complainant Muhammad Naeem, a resident of Faisalabad, claimed that the incident at the holy site, videos of which went viral, was a "planned out scheme and conspiracy".
He added that the videos shared on social media and speeches made by the PTI leaders prior to the coalition delegation’s visit were proof of the alleged crime.
A series of FIRs ordered under instructions of interior ministry, bring it on we will fight …. #Imported_Hakoomat_Namanzoor https://t.co/LHoE3nOG4w
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 30, 2022
He alleged that Imran, Fawad, Rashid, Gill and Suri were part of a conspiracy under which other PTI leaders then led delegations to Saudi Arabia to carry out the actions in the holy mosque, which were then posted on social media platforms.
Similar FIRs were registered in other cities of Punjab and police have started arresting the PTI activists.
The former interior minister’s nephew, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, was taken into custody on arrival at the new Islamabad airport from Saudi Arabia.
As the nephew of Rashid returned on Sunday morning, officers in civvies along with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration staff took him into custody.
Read Imran distances himself from Masjid-e-Nabwi incident
He was handed over to the Attock Police Station, as a case has also been registered there at the request of a local in the context of the Masjid-i-Nabwi incident. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah tweeted that there was no justification to not register a case against those who had violated the sanctity of Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH).
“The pilgrims were instigated under a plan. Some of the people had travelled to Saudi Arabia from Britain. There can be no forgiveness for what these people have done," he wrote.
An application has also been submitted to Islamabad’s Margalla police station to book Imran, Rashid, his nephew and unidentified people for harassing people in Masjid-i-Nabwi.
Muhammad Naveed Bhatti, a resident of the federal capital, personally submitted an application to the Margalla SHO.
انشاللہ اس کا بھی مقابلہ کریں گے https://t.co/8NMGo7ofTi
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) April 30, 2022
The application stated that on April 27, Rashid delivered a news conference, telecast live on various local TV channels, in which he could be heard persuading PTI activists to visit Saudi Arabia with PM Shehbaz and his delegation and abuse them in Haramain Sharifain so that world would see what they could do to them.
He added that the activists of Rashid and Imran, under a well-conceived conspiracy, used extremely vulgar words at Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH), shouted slogans and harassed women. The applicant maintained that Imran and Rashid were “inciting people to revolt with their provocative speeches”.
He requested that a case should be registered against Imran, Rashid, his nephew and other people that could be seen in the videos viral on social media for blasphemy against Masjid-i-Nabwi and defamation of the country.
A similar application has also been filed at Karachi’s Aziz Bhatti police station. (With input from our correspondent in Karachi)
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