Pakistan

Challenging police monitoring: IHC judge recuses himself from Lal Masjid cleric’s case

Justice Shaukat Siddiqui previously served as defence counsel for Abdul Aziz.

Obaid Abbasi August 29, 2013

Aziz, in his petition, had challenged the inclusion of his name in the fourth schedule as a terrorist suspect. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on Thursday recused himself from hearing a petition filed by the former chief cleric of Lal Masjid, challenging the listing of his name as a terrorist suspect.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Siddiqui, and Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi heard the petition filed on Wednesday. However, Justice Siddiqui disassociated himself from the case as he was the counsel for Lal Masjid chief cleric Abdul Aziz. The matter was referred to IHC Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi and will be heard on September 8.

Aziz, in his petition, had challenged the inclusion of his name in the fourth schedule as a terrorist suspect. The fourth schedule is a section of the Anti Terrorism Act in which a terrorist suspect is kept under observation and is required to mark his attendance with the local police on regular intervals and inform them of any movement outside the limits of the district. A press release issued last week from the SSP’s office stated that “All people notified in Schedule-4 of ATA are bound to report their availability to the police and notify their departure if they move out of Islamabad”.

According to the petition, on August 3, 2005, the chief commissioner of Islamabad had issued a notification putting Aziz on the fourth schedule due to his links with banned sectarian outfit Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan. However, Aziz, through his counsel Qari Wajihullah, said it was not true.

The petition said that a person could be placed on the schedule for three years, but Aziz’s name had been listed in it for almost eight years. Wajihullah said Islamabad SSP (Operations), Aabpara SHO had raided Jamia Hafsa on August 12 to arrest Aziz as he had not been informing the police but he was at home. Aziz claimed that before the raid, no police officials had informed him of the inclusion of his name in the fourth schedule and he had never been asked to mark his attendance at a police station.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2013.