TLP naib emir arrested for incitement, hurling threats at CJP Qazi Faez Isa

LAHORE – Police detained Naib Emir Pir Zaheerul Hassan Shah of the Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) on Monday, hours after filing a case against him for allegedly threatening Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

SHO Hammad Hussain’s complaint prompted the Qila Gujjar Singh police to file a case against the TLP leader.

The complaint was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, as well as other legal prohibitions such as propagating religious hatred, sedition, intimidating the higher judiciary, and interfering with or impeding statutory tasks.

According to the FIR, the suspect threatened and propagated hatred for the judiciary during a rally outside the press club.

The FIR names the TLP’s naib emir and 1,500 workers.

The government’s swift action

Earlier, the government warned hate-mongers to take action when a scandal emerged over a threat to Pakistan’s Chief Justice.

Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the Federal Minister for Defence, has warned that “attempts at bloodletting are being made on the pretext of religion”.

Referring to the continuing campaign against Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, the defence minister stated that certain misguided individuals were targeting the CJP over a recent Supreme Court decision that had nothing to do with the CJP.

Minister Ahsan Iqbal, speaking at the news conference, noted that a political party, a reference to the TLP, was formed in 2018 to promote disorder.

Iqbal reported religious authorities’ rulings declaring that terrorism, sectarianism, and suicide murders had nothing to do with Islam.