Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz has been granted pre-arrest bail by a Sessions court in Islamabad. In the short order announced on Monday, the court also dismissed applications for FIRs against him vis-a-vis supporting Daesh and sectarian hate speech.
Maulana Abdul Aziz was granted extension in bail on 26th February for 10 days. On 7th March, additional District and Sessions Judge, Raja Asif Mehmood, resumed hearing the pending four cases pertaining to the cleric, and issued a short order.
First case was in reference to the application for pre-arrest bail in FIR 569/14 for criminal intimidation under Section 506(ii) filed by civil society protestors. The complainants argued that the cleric is a fugitive and a declared absconder for last 14 months.
Aziz’s counsel made personal attack on the complainant questioning his religious credentials to which court interfered and the judge stopped him.
The second hearing was on the application of pre-arrest bail in FIR 446/14 for Hate Speech in the case filed by the State of Pakistan. Aziz’s counsel claimed that he didn’t even attend the procession and hence he cannot be framed in this case.
The third case was in reference to the application to register FIR against the cleric, his wife Umm-e-Hssan and Jamia Hafsa students regarding their pledged allegiance with Daesh. The complainants provided evidences to prove their case, however, State’s lawyer took a stand that since this is a State security matter, State itself is looking into it.
The fourth hearing was for application to register FIR against the cleric under Section 295A and Protection of Pakistan Act regarding trying to create Sectarian divide withinState’s security agencies. The Complainant read the transcript of the video released by Aziz on 27th January 2016.
The court granted bail to the cleric in first two cases, and dismissed applications for registering FIRs against him in cases pertaining to alleged allegiance with Daesh and creating sectarian divide.
Court will release the detailed order tomorrow.
