Former ASWJ Rawalpindi president sentenced to jail for 6 months

Mufti Tanvir Alam Farooqui was taken into custody on December 31 for hate speech and possession of weapons

RAWALPINDI: An Anti-Terrorism Court sentenced on Monday former Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) Rawalpindi president Mufti Tanveer Alam Farooqi to six months in prison for hate speech and possession of weapons.

During the hearing, ATC judge Ais Majeed Awan ordered the former ASWJ Rawalpindi president to be imprisoned for six months and pay a fine of Rs50,000.

The ASWJ leader was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) earlier this year. The CTD had registered a First-Information Report against the accused under Section 9 of the Anti-Terrorism Act against Tanveer for hate speech.

On December 31, Farooqui along with his gunmen and companions, were taken into custody after a joint patrolling team of police and Rangers intercepted a double-cabin pickup at a picket near Tramri Chowk.

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Police said that Farooqui and his companions were arrested after illegal weapons, including 12-bore pump action shotgun, two 44-bore rifles, two 9mm pistols and bullets, were recovered from their possession. They were subsequently taken to Shahzad Town police station and booked.

The police booked them under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which had been imposed in the federal capital which banned exhibition of any kind of weapons.