Proof of his point?: Madrassa head, five students held for defamation

They were placing banners derogating information minister over recent remarks on religious schools.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad Police on Saturday registered cases against a cleric and five madrassa students at two separate police stations for placing banners against the information minister, police sources said.

Maulana Zahoor Ahmad Alvi, chief cleric of Jamia Muhammadia, and five of his students were allegedly placing the banners in response to comments Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid made regarding madrassas.

The sources said that two separate First Information Report (FIRs) were registered by the Kohsar and Aabpara police stations under various sections over banners placed in Sector F-6 and at Aabpara Chowk late last night.

The minister had recently criticised madrassas and students at such ‘schools’. According to sources, the FIR registered by the Kohsar police against Alvi included charges of assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of duty, armed rioting, and unlawful assembly.

The other case was registered on the compliant of Aabpara Assistant Sub Inspector Tahir Khan Niazi, who intercepted few students of the madrassa while they were placing banners against the minister ar Aabapara Chowk. The complainant stated that while patrolling, he noticed and tried to stop the students, before Alvi came at the spot to rescue the students.

The FIR was registered against five students with charges of public mischief, printing of defamatory material, and defamation.

The Aabpara SHO confirmed that the students were arrested and produced in court, from where they had since been sent to Adiala Jail on judicial remand.

Tanveer Ahmed Alvi, son of Zahoor Alvi, told The Express Tribune that the students were placing banners on the direction of Wafaqul Madaris. He said the FIR was registered against his father even though he was not personally placing the banners. “The police registered an FIR despite the fact that my father was restraining the students,’ he added.

Wafaqul Madaris sources said that they will start a protest against the minister to force the government to remove him.

Repeated attempts were made to contact Kohsar SHO Hakim Khan, but he was not available for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2015.