Prayer leader’s ‘arrest’ sparks public outrage

E-Paper | July 29, 2026

LAHORE: A number of people lodged a vociferous protest on Friday against the Mughalpura police for “arresting and beating up” a prayer leader just before Friday prayers.

The charged people blocked Shalimar Link Road to traffic and shouted slogans against the Mughalpura station house officer for thrashing the prayer leader of Jamia Masjid on the pretext of a drive against misuse of loudspeaker.

Witnesses said scores of people missed Friday prayers when Mughalpura SHO Adnan Rasheed arrested prayer leader Qari Abid Faisal who was ready for sermon. They alleged the SHO, along with other policemen, thrashed Qari Faisal in the presence of scores of people who had arrived there for prayers. They later bundled the prayer leader into the police van amid protest by the locals.

The incident sparked anger among the locals who hit out at the police, saying there’s no justification of arresting the prayer leader. The situation remained tense as the protesters wanted to besiege the police station for humiliating the prayer leader. The traffic remained suspended for hours on one of the busiest roads.

Meanwhile, Mughalpura Circle DSP Abdul Qayyum Gondal and SHOs of other police stations reached there and held negotiations with the protesters. The DSP during preliminary inquiry held the Mughalpura SHO guilty and released Qari Faisal.

The protesters dispersed giving a deadline of 24 hours to suspend the SHO and warned that they would besiege the office of the DIG if strict disciplinary action was not taken against him for misuse of authority.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2015

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Ashraf Choudhry

Jan 10, 2015 09:38am

Great Beginning!

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Zaku

Jan 10, 2015 09:49am

@Ashraf Choudhry correct, now protestors should be warned and if hey do not comply, should be arrested too for interfering with the law enforcement authorities.

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TruePakistani

Jan 10, 2015 09:58am

It would be worth mentioning what the prayer leader did or guilty off so that people would have same opinion rather then a protest

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saz

Jan 10, 2015 10:03am

Police is not going to attack Prayer leader in air. There must be something he did otherwise PK police having soft corner for religious clerics and religious groups and banned outfits can not unnecessary arrest him. PK public must behave wisely and must not interfere where interference is not needed and must interfere where it is truly needed. But they are blind followers and they would keep following their religious thugs until those thugs will sell them cheaply or ditch them. Because of such blind Paki majority Pakistan reached to this state of turmoil.

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Wachucha

Jan 10, 2015 10:07am

Incomplete report.

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umer

Jan 10, 2015 10:19am

Yet the establishment is not ready to accept that it is the Punjab which is at the root of all forms of religious bigotry and extremism.

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think_then_speak

Jan 10, 2015 10:32am

This is the soft corner for terrorists in Pakistani society. When the lives and property of such people is destroyed they ask government and blame the government for incompetence. Those who are against terrorism should stand against these loudspeaker mullahs who spread hate and intolerance.

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jay

Jan 10, 2015 10:52am

Why is it so important for the public to stand up for qari or mullah. all these qari's do is eat Halwa and never participate in any welfare activities such as drought, earth quake floods etc. scum of the nation.

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ahmed

Jan 10, 2015 11:08am

Need military court or military police may be

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Pragmatist

Jan 10, 2015 11:09am

Loudspeakers are misused by the mosques in Pakistan. The Fajar Adhans reverberate throughout the city for over an hour. If the salat has to offered at the correct time, there is no justification for Adhans to go on for such a long time. The mullahs should climb up the minarets in call Adhan by the mouth alone as is the tradition from the tie of the Holy Prophet PBUH. Similarly the sermons should not be heard outside the boundary of the mosque. Let the mullahs not make a joke of the religion.

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vaqas

Jan 10, 2015 11:11am

What is worrying and something to ponder on is not the arrest of the moulvi, which might or might not have been justified, the worrying aspect is the entrenchment of the militant mindset in the general public which compelled them to automatically come out and create a ruckus to get the moulvi released.

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Confused

Jan 10, 2015 11:37am

If the investigation found the mughalpura SHO guilty, why wasn't he arrested?

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AnotherTruePakistani

Jan 10, 2015 11:49am

@TruePakistani Even if he was guilty, its not the way to beat & arrest a prayer leader right in front of scores of people gathered to offer prayers behind him. And that too once he didn't even begin his sermon.

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M. Ismail

Jan 10, 2015 11:59am

Police did the right thing. They should have registered a case against the leading protesters as well. Bad start.

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AnotherTruePakistani

Jan 10, 2015 12:02pm

@jay You are so ill informed. Just bother to dig some information and you will find what is the role of religious charity organizations in welfare activities. Even Musharraf who went hard against religious organizations, openly agreed to their role in the earthquake. And above all how do you know that someone's individual deeds? Participating in welfare activities individually is something which everybody does not want to publicize. We should look at our own flaws rather than pointing fingers at others without any basis. The pertinent question to ask is "what welfare Im doing to the society" rather than "what he or someone else is doing".

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Patriot

Jan 10, 2015 12:13pm

@vaqas The people peacefully protested without any violence. How can you call it a result of militant mindset? There are violent, deadly protests common in our society related to political or ethnic matters. Why don't you call them a product of militant mindset?

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Khan

Jan 10, 2015 12:15pm

Look at the irony, they went on to do protest on the road instead someone from the crowd should have lead the prayer.

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TooTrue

Jan 10, 2015 12:23pm

The man was only doing his job. The police should've dispersed the protestors. This SHO is to be commended.

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Jehadi

Jan 10, 2015 01:01pm

We should respect our Ulema / Qari/ prayer leader. Minor things / violation on their part be ignored.

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Husain Jan

Jan 10, 2015 01:15pm

Any one, be it a prayer leader, can be arrested and tried in courts under the rules. But why do our police love the act of thrashing the arrested person(s) and why such policemen are not punished is a big question. Suspension is not enough at all....punishment / a jail term is what is required. Many a policemen are reported to have been suspended for various crimes and some of them are suspended too but no one is reported to have been sentenced to jail terms. How come suspension is considered enough for policemen while common men are arrested, thrashed and sent to jail too. Why this different mode of action ? Can our home minister enlighten us on this matter ?

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Jan 10, 2015 01:22pm

It seems that it was the public thrashing by the police which was upsetting to the people. Lawful arrest is ok but beating an unarmed citizen is unlawful

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Aamir

Jan 10, 2015 01:47pm

Classic Punjab Pulss! they may have made a law breaking preacher a hero.. excellent job Punjab Puls

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umer salahuddin

Jan 10, 2015 02:15pm

Law is equal for every one and our public is sentimental who do not use brain for any action.

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nabil

Jan 10, 2015 02:17pm

Our Hazoor e karim Hazrat Mohammed {PBUH) never never during Taqreer or reading Sermon ever shouted, why do Qari's or Moulah's of today? Hazrat Mohammed (PBUH) had wisdom, most Qari's & Moulah's don't.

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aCitizen

Jan 10, 2015 02:34pm

Salute to the SHO. Let actions speak louder than words.

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salman

Jan 10, 2015 02:36pm

Is the use of loudspeakers during sermons "bidat"??where are the fatwa factory owners??

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mirza

Jan 10, 2015 02:38pm

Police shoud be very careful when taking any action against religious leaders, peoples are against terrorism only not against religion.

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Pakistani

Jan 10, 2015 02:38pm

So it is fine to humiliate Educated and Reasonable People, Professors and Scientists. It is fine to kill non-muslims or other sect's people, it is fine to make women's lives miserable and do everything that goes against civilised norms. It is fine to humiliate and challenge the State of Pakistan, but it is unacceptable to humiliate a Prayer Leader? Welcome to Al-Bakistan

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ahsan

Jan 10, 2015 03:14pm

Bravo Mughalpura police. Salute to SHO Adnan Rasheed. He should be appreciated by his superiors for upholding the law. The same people who are protesting will protest again when someone near and dear will die as a result of terrorism instigated by the terrorists.

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Tranquil

Jan 10, 2015 03:21pm

Good job

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Z khan

Jan 10, 2015 04:11pm

How can the DSP find the SHO guilty? Only a judge may do so.

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Z khan

Jan 10, 2015 04:17pm

Why did the people miss their prayers. In Islam there is no requirement for a duly ordained priest to lead the prayers. Any elder could have led.