K & P

Four clerics arrested, released on bail in Swabi

Arrested for on-airing illegal FM radio stations in their seminaries.

Our Correspondent August 29, 2012

SWABI: Four clerics were apprehended by the district police for on-airing illegal FM radio stations in their seminaries in Thanda Koi area of the district in the late hours of Monday.

SHO Mukhtiar Khan of Zaida police said that on July 17 they have warned the clerics of two seminaries to stop the unlicenced FM stations, adding that they didn’t stop. “We closed down the two FMs but the next day they again installed new sets and started their preachings,“ he said.

Khan said that around 11pm that they arrested Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) district chief Maulana Hussain Ahmad from his seminary Darul Uloom Rasheedia Thanda Koi while Maulana Mufti Gulzar Khan, Maulana Akmal and Maulana Akhtar Zaman from Taleem-ul-Quran seminary.

He further said that they were arrested from the seminaries. However, an official at Zaida police station while talking to The Express Tribune claimed that on July 17 when police warned the clerics to stop and seized the FM station equipment, the clerics threatened them and reinstalled the equipment. The local JUI-F activists protested against the police.

The official said that police didn’t raid the seminaries. “Is it possible for police to raid a seminary of the political influential cleric” adding that when police reached the seminary they were threatened by the clerics of dire consequences.

He further said that police told the clerics that they were compelled to perform their duties and told them to go with them to the police station. “We brought them and presented them before a magistrate on Tuesday where they were released on bail.”

The official further said that they were performing their duty but received numerous calls threatening them and accusing them for their anti-Islamic act.

According to Section 19(2) of PEMRA ordinance 2002, FM radio stations is a licensable activity in Pakistan while in case of violation it would be considered an offence under the law.