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Not guilty: Aziz acquitted in all but one case

Lal Masjid cleric’s counsel claims cases were fabricated.

Our Correspondent February 22, 2013 1 min read

Out of a total of 27 cases registered against Aziz since 2007, he has been acquitted in 26, while the only remaining case left against him concerns the harassment of owners of CD shops.PHOTO: SANA/FILE

ISLAMABAD:

A trial court on Thursday acquitted Lal Masjid chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz in the second last case registered against him in 2007 for holding protests against the government.

Islamabad Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Ali Ahmed acquitted Maulana Aziz in two cases registered against him in 2007, for violating 144. Aabpara police had registered two FIRs against him under Section 188 for holding processions and protests outside mosque against the government.

During the course of hearing, Aziz’s counsel Wajeehullah Khan informed the court that Section 144 was imposed by the then deputy commissioner, while the case was registered by Station House Officer Safeer Hussain who was not the competent authority. He argued that the FIR should had been registered by the DC Islamabad instead of the police. He requested the court to acquit his client as the police had lodged baseless case against his client. He claimed that the former prosecutor had also declared that these cases were not maintainable, but his client was facing trials for the past seven years.

Khan told the court that 21 people were nominated in this case and the police registered FIRs against JUI-F’s Senator Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, former senator Dr Khalid Soomro and Maulana Saleem Khan, but only his client was arrested.

Out of a total of 27 cases registered against Aziz since 2007, he has been acquitted in 26, while the only remaining case left against him concerns the harassment of owners of CD shops.

Hearing deferred in last case

Judicial Magistrate Shehzad Khan issued notices to the prosecution and adjourned the hearing till February 28 in the last case registered against Aziz in April 2007 for threatening the owners of CD shops and forcibly closing their businesses in F-7 Markaz and Aabpara Market. Aziz’s counsel requested the court to acquit his client, claiming that this case was also fabricated.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2013.