ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking the registration of a criminal case against Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz, as the federal government has said it is a “case of no evidence”.

The petition was filed by a representative of the civil society, Mohammad Jibran Nasir, in which he sought directions for the Islamabad police to register an FIR against Mr Aziz, his wife and the students of Jamia Hafsa for allegedly pledging allegiance to Daesh.

In his petition, Mr Nasir has said that students of Jamia Hafsa released a video on social media in which they invited Daesh to intervene in Pakistan and to kill soldiers and civilians, chop off their hands, behead them and tear apart their bodies to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden and the Lal Masjid operation.

The petitioner said Maulana Aziz’s name was included in the list of proscribed persons in the Anti-Terrorism Act’s Fourth Schedule and that his wife and students had earlier taken up arms against the state which had resulted in the Lal Masjid operation of 2007.

A report filed by the interior ministry in the IHC said that claims of the suspects – female students of religious institutions and their teachers - waging war against Pakistan needs to be backed by evidence that can stand the test of scrutiny.

IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani dismissed the petition saying that since the federal government and the Islamabad police did not recommend the registration of an FIR, they could not be directed for the same.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2016