LAHORE: The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Punjab has registered four terrorism cases against senior leaders of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan for fanning hate and instigating public to participate in a new agitation movement against the state to expel French ambassador.

The FIRs were registered with the Lahore CTD police station against TLP leaders, including Ghulam Abbas Faizai, Ghulam Ghaus Baghdadi, Khurram Riaz, Dr Shafiq Amini and Pir Zaheerul Islam.

They were accused of holding central executive meeting and conducting a press conference in Lahore under the banner of the TLP which had been banned under the law of the land.

The nominated were accused of fanning hate, instigating public to take to the street against the state/government for not expelling French ambassador from Pakistan.

All the four FIRs were lodged under section 11-W under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 on the complaints of CTD corporals.

In the first FIR, the complainant alleged that the he found a video clip on YouTube titled “News Lounge” carrying statement of the Thareek-e-Labbaik Majlis-e-Shura.

The clip showed TLP’s leaders Ghulam Abbas Faizai, Ghulam Ghaus Baghdadi, Khurram Riaz, Dr Shafiq Amini and Pir Zaheerul Islam promoting the party despite the ban slapped by the government.The complainant said that the accused nominated in the FIR were liable to be punished under anti-terrorism laws.

Another YouTube show called “Shahzaib Rizvi Official” showed Ghulam Abbas Faizai, Ghulam Ghaus Baghdadi and Farooq-ul-Hassan holding a meeting under the banner of the TLP and provoking public to participate in a new campaign to force the state to expel the French ambassador from Pakistan.

The third FIR cited another video clip wherein Ghulam Abbas Faizi, Zaheerul Islam Shah and others were holding a press conference in Lahore under the banner of the TLP.

The complainants of all the FIRS stated that the video clips of the TLP leaders who held meetings and press briefings were sent for forensic analysis as evidence to take action against them under the ATA for flouting state directions.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2021