Man booked for harassing woman

Currently in the US, police say they will ask Interpol to help with his arrest.

ISLAMABAD:

Marrying him would have been a “privilege” for her, but instead she reported him to the police, and now he is wanted by the police. 

On the complaints of a Pakistani woman based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the city police booked a man on Wednesday on accusations of blasphemy for declaring himself Imam Mehdi.

The woman, a permanent resident of Dubai, lodged a complaint through the Pakistani embassy in UAE accusing Hafeezullah, who identified himself as a retired Pakistan army major, of having sent her emails containing information that was interpreted as derogatory by the Islamabad police’s legal experts, said a police official at the Secretariat Police Station.

The Secretariat police registered a case against Hafeezullah under section 295-A for blasphemy.

A police investigation officer said the suspect is living in the US.

However, his name was put on the Exit Control List, and after obtaining arrest warrants, the police will seek Interpol’s help in arresting the man.

The officer did not clearly describe the nature of the emails sent by the suspect, as the records are with the interior ministry, which is also a complainant in the case.

“He also proposed to her, claiming he was Imam Mehdi and it would be a privilege for her to marry him,” said the police officer, quoting one of the emails. The police said it was not clear if the two knew each other before, however the woman said Hafeezullah had randomly contacted her.

“This fact has to be investigated besides many others including the mental health of the man,” said an officer.

The police registered a case against Hafeezullah on the complaint of Interior Ministry Section Officer Muhammad Ali Malik, after he sought advice from the legal department of the police.

Secretariat Police SHO said the case was filed on the woman’s complaint and a covering letter from the ministry was sent to the legal department to place charges.

The legal branch interpreted the information as blasphemy and suggested an application, he added.

The complaint reached the Interior Ministry through the foreign office. It was forwarded to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for investigations but was returned to the police as it involved crimes beyond the FIA’s jurisdiction, said the investigation officer.

The police said that because both suspect and complainant were based abroad, investigations to ascertain the facts will move forward after the police interview the woman before moving to arrest the suspect, they added.

US port authorities have been alerted so that the suspect is not able to leave that country and evade arrest, said the secretariat police.

However, some reports suggest that the suspect is, in fact, in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 19^th, 2012.

Correction: An earlier version of the story was running factual errors. The story has been revised accordingly.