KOHAT: The district administration on Wednesday registered cases against two Shia ulema for instigating people against the rival sect and government by misusing loudspeaker in the city and Sher Kot.

The SHOs of city and Ustarzai booked Syed Muharram Ali Shah, who had been recently released in a murder case, and Maulana Syed Qaiser Abbas for raising slogans against the administration and asking the mob to attack government property on Dec 3 and 5, 2015, said a statement issued by the Deputy Commissioner’s House.

It said that the action had been taken after consultations with legal experts in the sensitive case.

Meanwhile, Sunni Supreme Council chairman Javaid Ibrahim Paracha at a meeting held at Kotwali Mosque on Wednesday announced that in future the mourners from Hangu road would cross Mohammadzai and Nastratkhel areas by 4pm. He said that the mourners returning from Kohat should not be allowed to sit on the rooftops of vehicles and raise controversial slogans.

The participants demanded dismissal of services of four police eyewitnesses who had backed out from their earlier statements against the four Shia accused in a case related to killing of three persons, including a policemen.

The meeting was told that the DPO had been asked by the court to submit reasons why the police denied their first statements against the accused and what action had been taken against them. About a week ago, deputy commissioner Zahir Mohmand had summoned jirgas from both the sects and ordered arrest of over 30 people.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2015