Court seeks compliance on plea against ex-president Alvi

FIA says video referred to Ulema board; petitioner disputes relevance

LAHORE:

A petition has been filed in a district court seeking compliance with an earlier order that directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to act in accordance with the law, if a cognizable offence was made out, on a plea for the registration of an FIR against former president Dr Arif Alvi over alleged blasphemous remarks in a viral video.

The compliance petition, filed through Advocate Mudassar Chaudhry, argued that despite the court's order, the authorities had taken no concrete action.

The petitioner urged the court to direct the FIA to implement its earlier ruling.

Previously, Additional District & Sessions Judge Shafqat Shahbaz Raja had ordered the FIA to examine the matter.

In response, the FIA submitted that a regular inquiry had been registered and assigned to Sub-Inspector Abdul Basit of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

The FIA stated that the petitioner had joined the inquiry proceedings and provided evidence, while the video in question had been referred to the Ulema Board for a fatwa.

Proceedings, it added, would be finalized on merit after the Board's opinion.

The petitioner's counsel, however, opposed the FIA's stance, arguing that the Board's opinion was irrelevant to the registration of an FIR and pointing out that not all content in the video clip was clearly audible.

Judge Raja subsequently disposed of the petition, directing the FIA to conclude the inquiry after receiving the Ulema Board's reply and, if a cognizable offence was established, to proceed strictly in accordance with the law.