ISLAMABAD: Former Khqteeb of Lal Masijd Maulana Abdul Aziz and five others were again booked on charges of assault, obstructing officials from performing their duties and criminal intimidation, sources told Dawn.

In response to a complaint lodged by ASI Ashfaq Ahmed, the case was registered at the Aabpara police station under PPCs 353, 186, 506 and 109 .

The police said five others were also booked for obstructing the police from performing their duties and threatening them with dire consequences.

One of them was arrested while the rest escaped, they added.

The man was shifted to police station and later produced in the court of magistrate from where he was shifted to Adiala jail on judicial remand.

The police said during the last couple of days a few people, affiliated with the Lal Masjid and Maulana Aziz, were arrested over violation of law.

When contacted, ASI Ashfaq Ahmed told Dawn that he along with other officials, including a sub-inspector, were deployed at the picket adjacent to Lal Masjid.

A group of few people came out from the mosques and started arguing with the police about the arrest of their companions, he said.

They started calling the officials non-Muslims when the personnel asked them to contact Aabpara police if they have any reservation or complaint over the arrest of their companions, the ASI said, adding shortly a quarrel erupted between them when police replied that they have no rights to declare or call anyone non-Muslim.

One of them threw a mobile at a policeman too, Mr Ahmed said, adding few more people, including women also came out from the mosque and took part in the arguments.

One of the women asked the police to stop arresting their companions and refrain themselves from confrontation with them, the ASI said, adding the police reacted and succeeded in arresting one of them, while the rest went inside the mosque.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2020