Prayer leader’s plea: CCPO to submit report on mosque dispute

Petitioner seeks case against rival prayer leader.

LAHORE:

An additional district and sessions judge has sought a report from the capital city police officer (CCPO) on January 28 regarding a case against a prayer leader who allegedly forged documents to take control of a mosque.

The petitioner, Qari Afzal, submitted that he had been prayer leader at Usama Bin Zaid Mosque on Walton Road for many years, until it had been taken over by Qari Aziz. He said that Qari Aziz, in connivance with three others, had forged a mukhtar nama, or power of attorney, to seize control of the mosque.

Afzal said that he had taken legal action and obtained a court order, but not pursued the matter as Aziz had apologised to him at a panchayat. Afzal again became the prayer leader at the mosque.

However, the petitioner said, the accused again attempted to get the forged letter of attorney registered, though he had failed. He moved the courts which ordered the police to record his complaint and proceed in accordance with the law. Afzal said that he approached the Naseerabad station house officer to lodge a complaint, but the SHO refused to register a case. He asked the court to direct the SHO to register a case.

The judge sought a report from the CCPO for January 28 explaining why the court order had not been implemented.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2013.