Radical Islamist party's deputy chief arrested in Pakistan for issuing death threats to Chief Justice

    Islamabad, Jul 29 (PTI) A radical Islamist party's deputy chief was arrested on Monday after being booked for inciting violence against Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa over his decision to grant bail to a blasphemy suspect from the minority Ahmadi community, officials said.
    Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Deputy Emir Pir Zaheerul Hasan Shah, who had gone into hiding in Okara city in the eastern Punjab province, has been arrested, Geo News reported, citing sources.
    His arrest comes after an FIR was filed against him for a speech made during a protest rally outside the Lahore Press Club during a demonstration against the apex court verdict in the Mubarak Sani case.
    In a viral video of his speech, Shah is seen telling his supporters that he would give 10 million rupees to anyone who beheads Chief Justice Esa.
    The FIR was 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 charges against Shah include sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), inciting religious hatred, causing public disorder, intimidating the judiciary, threatening the judiciary, interfering in official duties, and obstructing legal functions.
    According to the FIR, during a protest outside the Press Club, Shah incited hatred against the judiciary and announced a reward of PKR 10 million for anyone who brings the head of Justice Faez Isa. The FIR also includes charges against 1,500 TLP workers.     The FIR was registered after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that strict action would be taken against those issuing death threats to the Chief Justice, emphasising that the state will not tolerate such fatwas.
    During a press conference, Asif on Monday condemned the inflammatory remarks made against Chief Justice Isa and highlighted attempts on social media to incite the public to commit murder.
    He warned that permitting such rhetoric could lead to the disintegration of the state's structure.
    The defence minister pointed out that there are efforts to incite violence in the name of religion, with Chief Justice Isa being targeted through various pretexts.
    The minister reiterated that the state would not accept any group dictating terms, emphasising the importance of upholding the rule of law and justice in the country.
    A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Isa, last week partially accepted review petitions in the Mubarak Sani case, ruling that Ahmadis retain the right to profess and proliferate their religion, provided they do not publicly use Muslim terms or introduce themselves as Muslims.
    Pakistan's Parliament in 1974 declared the Ahmadi community as non-Muslims. A decade later, they were banned from calling themselves Muslims. They are banned from preaching and from travelling to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage.
    According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in 2021, there are 96.47 per cent Muslims in the country, followed by 2.14 per cent Hindus, 1.27 per cent Christians, 0.09 per cent Ahmadi Muslims and 0.02 per cent others.
    The minorities in conservative Muslim-majoriy Pakistan often complain of harassment by the extremists.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)