MULTAN, Feb 8: A blasphemy case has been reported in the Khar locality of tribal area of Fort Munro, Dera Ghazi Khan, wherein a man is witness against his brother in the case.

Complainant Khizar Abbas Attari is a resident of Multan, while suspect Noor Khan is of Khar and Dr Jalal, who is brother of Noor, is a witness to the incident.

Attari told Dawn he had visited Khar along with a Barelvi congregation called ‘Madni Kafla’ on a preaching tour.

He said on Aug 1, 2009, he along with others was raising the slogans of ‘Sada-i-Madina’ when Maulvi Idrees and Noor Khan attacked them and uttered “blasphemous” words about the sacred personalities.

He said he informed the elders of Dawat-i-Islami about the issue who advised him not to report the matter to the police. On the insistence of residents, he lodged a first information report (FIR) with Khar Border Military police station of the incident against Noor. Dr Jalal became a witness.The police quashed the blasphemy FIR after investigators said the suspects were innocent. On Feb 20, 2010, the area magistrate, however, ordered the police to submit charge-sheet of the case.

Noor Khan moved the Lahore High Court (LHC), Multan bench, against the orders of the area magistrate and Justice Tariq Javed quashed the FIR on April 20, 2010.

Attari, through his counsel Manzoor Ahmad Talpur, filed an intra-court appeal against the decision of the single bench. On May 25, 2010, an LHC double bench consisting of Justice Hafiz Abdul Rehman and Justice Mansoor Akbar suspended the single bench order and ordered the magistrate to resume hearing.

Mr Talpur quoted the area magistrate as saying that he would start the proceedings only after the complete decision of the court. The LHC is yet to release the detailed judgment.

BMP Risaldar Waqar Aziz Qaisrani said the case had been quashed after investigation as he himself had visited the area and collected evidence.

He said the case was the result of family differences between Dr Jalal and his father, Haji Azad.

Dawn learnt Haji Azad had sold out his first wife (mother of Dr Jalal) to a man of Rakhni (Balochistan) after declaring her “kali” (sinner). Later he married another woman from where he bears Wali Khan and Noor Khan.

Haji Azad and his sons, Wali Khan and Noor, are active members of the preaching congregation of Deoband school of thought, while Dr Jalal is a follower of Barelvi school of thought. Both Haji Azad and Wali established a preaching centre opposite the house of Dr Jalal which annoyed him.

Dr Jalal, however, denied any family dispute, saying it was a religious matter and the suspect had used blasphemous language.