In hot water: Autobiography sends editor into hiding

Cleric wants case against author, publisher and compiler over controversial book.

LAHORE:

The editor of a monthly magazine has went underground after receiving threats to his life for publishing an autobiography of a retired high court judge who is an Ahmadi.

On June 11, Racecourse police raided the office of Naya Zamana, a publication that promotes minorities’ rights, and arrested its editor Shoaib Adil.

They kept him in the detention overnight without registering a case and released him the next day.

Police arrested him after a group of people had protested in front of his office, calling for his arrest.

In a statement emailed to several media organisations on Wednesday, Adil said he and his family were receiving life threats. He said it had become difficult for him to publish his magazine.

He said he hailed from a religious family and his father Professor Rafiullah Shehab was an Islamic scholar

“I only talk about the rights of minorities and favour liberalism.” Qari Muhammad Rafique, a cleric, had moved a court for the registration of an FIR against Adil, former LHC judge Muhammad Islam Bhatti, the writer, and Ahmad Tahir Mirza, compiler of the book.

Rafique had told the court Bhatti had committed blasphemy in the book Adalat-e-Alia Tak ka Safar. He said the book published by Adil Publishers was distributed across the country damaging the sentiments of Muslims.

“The book was written to trigger religious unrest. It has not only damaged the sentiments of Muslims but also maligned the image of Pakistan.” He requested the court to direct the station house officer concerned to register a case against the accused under Sections 295/A (outraging religious feelings), 295/C, 298/B and 298/C of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Responding to the court notice, police said on Wednesday they had received a call from Rafique that Adil was publishing a blasphemous material.

They said they reached the magazine’s office, arrested Adil and took the books into their custody. They said they had registered the compliant in their register.

Police said they would send the book to the Auqaf Department’s Muttahida Ulema Council for the verification of its content. They said they would take further action in light of the scholars’ opinion.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2014.