Lal Masjid cleric to face terror charge

Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid, who along with four others opened fire on a police party in the capital on Wednesday, has been booked over terror charges.

The first information report (FIR) of the case was registered at the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station by its station house officer (SHO).

The FIR invokes six sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, including 324 (attempt to commit qatl-i-amd), as well as sections 7 (punishment for acts of terrorism) and 11E (measure to be taken against a proscribed organisation) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

On Wednesday, a CTD team purportedly went to the Lal Masjid area to ask him to appear before them and explain his return as prayer leader as well as efforts to seize the area of the former children’s library.

According to the FIR, the team in the area spotted a ‘suspicious’ vehicle which was signaled to stop.

However, three men – including two armed with sub-machine guns (SMG) – opened fire at the police.

Aziz and another man inside the car also opened fire.

The three men, Murad Khan, Abrar Ahmad and Sarfaraz Hussein, were arrested. Aziz and another man managed to escape. The FIR identified him as the driver Manzoor.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2023.