LAHORE: Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) President Maulana Khadim Hussain Rizvi has sought bail in a case lodged against him for launching violent protest against the acquittal of Christian woman Aasia Bibi from blasphemy charge.

Civil Lines police had registered an FIR under sections 290/291/353/427/186/188 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and section 6 of the Sound System Punjab Ordinance 2015 against Rizvi and other leaders of the TLP. Later it also added section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 in the FIR.

The counsel of Mr Rizvi submits in the petition that the provision of the ATA was falsely included in the case after a press conference of Federal Minister of Information Fawad Hussain Chaudhry following his visit to United Kingdom where he had met British parliamentarians.

He argued that a bare reading of the altered and fabricated FIR does not transpire the offence as alleged by the prosecution. He pleads that the petitioner and other accused have not committed any offence against the state but it is mere political victimisation against the TLP.

The counsel states that Mr Rizvi was arrested at a mosque on Nov 23, 2018 and since that day he is behind the bars causing him grave health issues being the physically challenged. He argues that the investigation has been completed by the police and keeping the petitioner behind the bars would serve no purpose. Therefore, he asks the court to grant bail to the petitioner as he is ready to furnish surety bonds.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2019