Police in Lahore on Monday registered a first information report (FIR) against Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) leader Pir Zaheerul Hasan Shah for inciting violence against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, as federal ministers vowed no one will be permitted to issue fatwas calling for anyone’s murder.
Last week, Shah spoke at a rally outside the Lahore Press Club in which he threatened the CJP over his verdict in the Mubarak Sani case. He later clarified that he was speaking in a personal capacity, but the remarks drew immediate condemnation from government officials and vows for legal action.
The FIR lodged against him includes provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act, as well as 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.
In a joint press conference, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif and Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal vowed that the government would not permit any malicious propaganda against the CJP and would take strict action against anyone responsible for it. “The state will not allow anyone to issue a fatwa calling for someone’s murder,” said Asif, lamenting the alleged attempt to make use of religion for bloodshed in pursuit of vested political interests. “There has been malicious propaganda about the chief justice and he has been targeted for a long time,” said the minister, regretting the attempts to silence someone who had relied on speaking the truth.
Stressing that the state would take action, he said baseless accusations cannot be allowed to continue. “There should be supremacy of Constitution in the country and justice should prevail. [State] will not accept dictation aimed towards securing personal interests in the name of politics,” he said, noting similar campaigns were launched against the CJP every time a verdict was announced. “This trend should end,” he emphasized.
Iqbal, similarly, described the threats to the CJP as a form of “rebellion” against the Constitution, reiterating that no group had the authority to issue fatwas to kill someone. “Terrorism, suicide attacks and fatwas have nothing to do with Islam,” he said, vowing that the government would take relevant action against any such utterances.
Recalling the attempt on his life in 2018, he noted that PMLN leaders had been similarly targeted under the guise of religion for political agendas in the past. No one, he stressed, would be allowed to use religion for inciting violence. “Legal action will be taken against the person issuing threats [to CJP],” he said, and urged religious scholars to come forth and guide the nation on this issue.
Earlier, Pakistan Ulema Council head Tahir Ashrafi also condemned the statement, noting that such violent sentiments only served to hurt the cause of the protesters.
Since the issuance of the verdict in the Mubarak Sani case, right-wing and religious parties have all voiced their opposition and demanded the ruling be reversed. In response, the apex court issued a clarification last week noting the verdict clearly stated that no one could be a Muslim without having faith in the finality of Prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
The court ruling in the case had overturned the conviction of Mubarak Sani, accused of an offense under the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act enforced in 2021. However, the FIR alleged the petitioner had committed the offense in 2019, when the law did not exist. As a consequence, the apex court had set aside the impugned orders and ordered immediate release of the petitioner.