Karachi police on Saturday registered a case against 39 detained workers of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) under terrorism and other charges for allegedly clashing with the law enforcement agencies while holding a protest demonstration against acquittal of Asia Bibi by Supreme Court in a high-profile blasphemy case, a private TV channel reported.
“New Town police has registered a first information report (FIR) against 39 leaders and workers of TLP under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997,” DIG East Amir Farooqi said. The case against TLP workers has been registered on behalf of the State, with police officer Mohammed Mithal of New Town police serving as the complainant.
The police have invoked sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object, 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of Rs 50), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 337-A (i) (punishment of shajjah) of the Pakistan Penal Code against the workers.
According to the FIR, around 300-350 workers of the TLP came out from Bahar-i-Shariat Mosque located on Alamgir Road in Bahadurabad soon after Friday prayers and started protesting at Sharafabad traffic signal. “They blocked the main road and tried to damage private and public vehicles,” the FIR states. On-duty police officers, the FIR adds, tried to prevent the angry mob from causing property damage but they did not desist from doing so. “The angry mob attacked the police party by impeding them from performing their duty and pelted stones on the policemen,” according to the FIR.
“The policemen retreated to save themselves but the angry mob still attacked the official automobile of the Tipu Sultan SHO with sticks and stones, resulting in significant damage to the vehicle. The protesters also allegedly attacked two policemen, Amjad and Asif, with sticks and injured them. In response to the violence, the police resorted to baton-charge and tear-gas shelling, and eventually made the arrests,” the FIR concludes.
Published in Daily Times, February 3rd 2019.
