• FIR lodged over TLP leader's speech outside Lahore Press Club.
• Govt reassures of action against those issuing threats to CJP.
• Minister requests religious scholars to come forth and guide.
  

LAHORE: As the federal government vowed to take stern action against those targeting Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa with malicious propaganda, a case has been filed against Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Vice Emir Pir Zaheerul Hasan Shah for incitement to violence against the top judge.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged in Lahore's Qila Gujjar Singh police station on behalf of Station House Officer (SHO) Hammad Hussain against the TLP leader and 1,500 party workers for issuing death threats to the chief justice.

The case refers to a speech made by Shah during a protest rally outside the Lahore Press Club during a demonstration against the SC verdict in the Mubarak Sani case.

The FIR includes provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and those related to spreading religious hatred and anarchy, pressuring and threatening the higher judiciary, interference in state affairs, obstructing in performance of legal duties and others.

It is to be noted that apart from TLP, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S), Mili Yakjehti Council Pakistan (MYC) and Wafaqul Madaris-ul-Arabiya (WMA) have also voiced their opposition to the apex court's verdict in the said case.

The opposition comes despite the clarification issued by the apex court on Friday which said that the court's verdict clearly states that no one can be a Muslim without having faith in the finality of prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

'State won't allow fatwas calling for murder'

Earlier in the day, the federal government announced that it won't allow malicious propaganda against the CJP and will take strict action against those responsible for it.

"The state will not allow anyone to issue a fatwa calling for someone's murder," Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a press conference in Islamabad.

Flanked by Planning and Development Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the defence minister, while referring to the propaganda campaign hurled against the chief justice following the SC verdict in the Mubarak Sani case, said that an attempt is being made to use religion for bloodshed for vested political interests.

"There has been malicious propaganda about the chief justice and he has been targeted for a long time," said the federal minister.

He said that an attempt is being made to silence a voice which has set a tradition of speaking truth, reiterating that the law will take its course.

Asif further said that the state will now take action because CJP Isa has been targeted for a long time, adding that baseless accusations cannot be made against someone.

"There should be supremacy of Constitution in the country and justice should prevail. [The state] will not accept dictation aimed towards securing personal interests in the name of politics," he added.

The defence minister claimed that campaigns are launched against CJP Isa if a verdict is announced in someone's favour. "This trend should end," he maintained.

Asif stressed that the state cannot allow anyone to issue a fatwa to kill someone.

Meanwhile, terming the threats to the CJP as a "rebellion" against the country's Constitution, Planning Minister Iqbal said that no group is allowed to issue fatwas to kill someone.

"Terrorism, suicide attacks and fatwas have nothing to do with Islam [...] the government will not allow such attitudes to flourish and will take due action against them," the minister said.

Recalling his own 2018 assassination attempt, Iqbal lamented that PML-N leaders have often been targeted under the guise of religion for political agendas and said that no one would be allowed to use religion for inciting violence.

"Legal action will be taken against the person issuing threats [to CJP]," he remarked.

He also requested religious scholars to come forth and guide the nation.