ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights headed by Walid Iqbal of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has taken notice of the registration of blasphemy cases against PTI leaders in various parts of the country over the Masjid-i-Nabwi incident and convened a meeting of the committee on May 9 for a briefing from the officials concerned on the matter.

According to a handout issued by the Senate Secretariat on Friday, the panel in order to probe the matter has decided to seek a briefing from the officials of the ministries of human rights and interior, the inspector general of police (IGP) Punjab and the city police officer, Faisalabad.

Some of the Pakistani pilgrims, apparently the PTI supporters, chanted slogans of Chor, Chor (thieves) and Lotay (turncoats) as soon as members of the official delegation under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived at the holy mosque of Madina on April 28.

In the video clips of the incident which went viral on social media, some protesters were even seen chasing and trying to physically attack ministers Shahzain Bugti and Marriyum Auran­gzeb who were saved and escorted by the guards and police officials.

Ministries of human rights and interior, police officers asked for briefing on Madina incident

The PPP and the PML-N later alleged that the attack had been planned by the PTI leadership. The PTI, however, denied the charge and termed it a spontaneous reaction of Pakistani people on the ouster of the party’s government through an alleged foreign conspiracy.

Later, reports started appearing in the media regarding registration of cases against the PTI leaders, including party chairman Imran Khan, for the incident and some sections of the blasphemy laws were also invoked.

The committee members want to have answers to some key questions from the officials concerned. The members, it says, want to know as to how many FIRs have been registered into the incident and what are the details.

The committee also wants a briefing on the alleged misuse of sections 295, 295A and 296 of the Pakistan Penal Code involving “offences relating to religion (also known as blasphemy laws)”.

The officials would be required to inform the committee if the requirements of Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code 1898 have been complied with before the registration of FIRs.

Moreover, it says, the committee members want to know whether any such case has also been registered in Saudi Arabia.

The Senate human rights committee has taken the notice days after a member of the PTI core committee and former human rights minister Shireen Mazari wrote letters to the United Nations officials and high commissioner for human rights, informing them about the alleged press censorship in Pakistan and filing of politically motivated blasphemy cases against PTI leaders, including chairman Imran Khan.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2022