ISLAMABAD: Once again, the names of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid echoed in the National Assembly on Monday.

Speaking on a point of order, the chief whip of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PIT) in the lower house, Dr Shireen Mazari, sought clarification from the interior minister if there were FIRs registered against the controversial cleric.

“A number of members of the National Assembly, including myself, have been approached by concerned members of the civil society who want Mr Aziz to be arrested on the basis of at least two FIRs registered against him,” said Dr Mazari.

She said the interior minister on more than one occasions had claimed on the floor of the house that at present there was no pending case again the cleric.

“My contention for taking this point of order is to seek interior minister’s comments on the documentary evidence provided by the civil society according to which despite the registration of FIRs no action has been taken against Mr Aziz.”

Though Dr Mazari didn’t precisely speak about the nature of the cases, documents which had been sent to the lawmakers showed two cases against Mr Aziz. In one FIR registered with the Aabpara police on Nov 18, 2014, Mr Aziz was shown as the co-accused in making objectionable speeches.

In the second FIR registered on December 19 the same year with the Aabpara police, Mr Aziz was accused of threatening protesters gathered outside Lal Masjid in favour of the victims of the Army Public School Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, January 19th, 2016