ATC indicts Sufi Mohammad in sedition case

Zahir Shah SheraziFebruary 07, 2015

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Pakistan's hardline cleric Sufi Muhammad, in center, arrives to address his supporters in Mingora, Swat on Sunday, April 19, 2009. — AP/File

PESHAWAR: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Peshawar on Saturday indicted chief of the banned Tehreek Nifaz-i-Shariah Mohammadi (TNSM) Maulana Sufi Mohammad for sedition over a speech at Grassy Ground Swat in Feb 2009 when the government had made a deal with him for restoration of peace in Malakand region.

The hearing of the case was held in Peshawar's Central Jail.

During the hearing, the court charged the TNSM chief for treason over his speech against democracy and state at Grassy Ground in Swat where he had termed democracy and the then-government as un-Islamic and unconstitutional.

Sufi Mohammad is the father-in-law of outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah.

Last year in November, an ATC in Peshawar had acquitted Sufi Mohammad and around 30 of his associates in two terrorism cases.

However, he continued to be behind bars for facing two more cases — one of which is the sedition case in which he was indicted today.

Take a look: TNSM's Maulana Sufi Mohammad cleared of more terrorism charges

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Comments (26) Closed

Paggri Sanbhaal

Feb 07, 2015 01:31pm

Catch his son-in-law.Pakistani nation would be indebted.

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John

Feb 07, 2015 02:09pm

Give him lesson in jail. it is hard to understand that these people use religion as a tool to make their place among people. In reality, they are not letting any developmental work, schools and colleges as it is against religion. This guys is afraid that people will not listen to him after getting education and will search the answer by themselves. They are worst enemy of state and people of Pakistan. wake up people of pakistan, it is our country.

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Feb 07, 2015 02:14pm

By the same law shouldn't sedition charges be applicable to gen ayub, z a bhutto, gen zia and gen Musharraf? they all went against democratic principles.

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Feb 07, 2015 02:24pm

Good stuff. What about molvi burqa's case?? He with his poisonous speech time and again challenges writ of govt. No action against him??

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safdar

Feb 07, 2015 02:46pm

Hang him please would you?

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Harmony

Feb 07, 2015 03:29pm

@John - Very true!

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safdar

Feb 07, 2015 04:14pm

@John the problems is that these guys are so influential in Pakistan that they live like a VIP in jail. Infact they are better off being in jail under government protection than being targeted by the rival group.

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ilum

Feb 07, 2015 04:38pm

what about Muslim khan

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Z khan

Feb 07, 2015 04:40pm

@sm the did try to subvert the government. They replaced the rulers. Also, in musharraf case the SC validated his rule. Zia was a usurper, but he too had to work with a parliament. Bhutto was elected.

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Asher

Feb 07, 2015 04:42pm

The whole nation can not be bend at the whims of a few ultra-conservative Aalims. Asking for the strict implementation of Sharia is not practical in today's age. Religious scholars need to find a moderate way to profess their religious teachings lest they want to be ignored.

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AdHawk

Feb 07, 2015 05:30pm

Another freedom of speech violation. Don't penalize words; only actions. Let the ideas be debunked out in the open.

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Danish

Feb 07, 2015 05:44pm

He is the father of all the troubles in Malakand, Sawat and Kohistan.

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Riazullah Baig

Feb 07, 2015 06:04pm

The whole nation desperately needs a fair judicial system, a uniform education system and improved democratic process too. If the state and its functionaries fail or deliberately deprive the masses of these basic rights, the aggrieved people resort to violence in the form of religion and revolutionary movements to regain their rights. Removing a cancerous tumor is the not only remedy. You will have to address the underlying conditions, which contribute to cancers of extremism of all types. If you kill one talib, there would be hordes of talibs to join their ranks unless you reform your system.

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Khalid Baloch

Feb 07, 2015 06:39pm

Pl hang this guy at once

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muhammad farooq

Feb 07, 2015 06:50pm

He should be prosected and punished.

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ibrahimashraf

Feb 07, 2015 07:42pm

It is very intriguing to pronounce sedition verdicts against people who want to take Pakistan to pursue its promised purposes

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Abassin

Feb 07, 2015 07:46pm

For how long, the state and the society at large will continue to ignore the atrocities committed by these so called religious clerics-in the name of their brand of the religion? It is a case of them vs. the rest of the society-do what needs to be done, and do it expeditiously that is what the ATC courts are there for.

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shamain

Feb 07, 2015 08:32pm

@Danish its his honor cuz of whom swat operation had to been done

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adi

Feb 07, 2015 08:56pm

ATC should also charge MQM chief Altaf Hussain for hate speech, instigating violence, having an armed militia group, and asking army to take over, over and over again.

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Parvez

Feb 07, 2015 10:49pm

This man has done much harm to Pakistan........and should be appropriately punished.

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NHM

Feb 07, 2015 11:32pm

It was the year 1994, I was on a flight from Peshawar to Islamabad . Back then, the flight always used to stop in Swat enroute to Islamabad. But on that day, for some reason, the plane flew directly to Islamabad without stopping over at Saidu Sharif. I only found out next day that some Idiot called Sufi Mohd and his followers , armed with anti aircraft guns had taken over the airport and threatened to blow it up if his demands were not met. Its amazing, that even after all these years, such a heinous crime remains unpunished and remains mostly forgotten as if nothing had happened

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pathanoo

Feb 08, 2015 12:22am

Why is Sufi Mohammed NOT in jail?

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Cyrus Ho

Feb 08, 2015 02:36am

The founder of Pakistan wanted democracy, not tribal law. Treason against the state is not a stretch of the imagination in this case.

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viewfromfar

Feb 08, 2015 06:03am

So, speech was made in 2009 but he is being indicted in 2015? Oh! I forgot it is Pakistan, please carry on.

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Amjad Wyne

Feb 08, 2015 06:46am

@sm No, because these generals did not say anything against the state and in all cases they managed to secure the approval of the civilian courts at the time. That said, both Maulana Sufi and Mullah Fazlullah could file cases against the state and the system in the courts - I am not suggesting that anything would have come out of it but killing innocent civilians by the thousands is no way to go about it.

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gee

Feb 08, 2015 07:36am

@Z khan - Sir, you missed the name of Hafiz Saeed who embarrasses the government of Pakistan every time he spews venom against India.

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