LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Monday denied bail to Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) President Maulana Khadim Hussain Rizvi and leader Pir Afzal Qadri in a case lodged against them for launching a violent protest against the acquittal of Aasia Bibi from blasphemy charge.

ATC Judge Abdul Qayyum Khan dismissed their bail petitions after hearing arguments from the prosecution and the petitioners’ counsel.

Advocate Abdullah Malik also appeared on behalf of the complainant and opposed the petitions.

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 Punjab Sound System Ordinance 2015 against Rizvi and other leaders of the TLP. Later it also added Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 in the FIR.

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

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

The counsel argued that the investigation had been completed by the police and keeping the petitioners behind bars would serve no purpose.

Opposing the bail, a deputy prosecutor said the petitioners were involved in inciting people against the state and their followers damaged public and private property and caused a sense of fear among the citizens.

He urged the court to dismiss the bail petitions.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2019