ISLAMABAD: Separate cases were registered against the wife of former Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz, his gunmen and over 200 students of Jamia Hafsa for creating law and order situation in the capital by protesting against two separate musical programmes, police said.

Cases were also registered against the organisers of the musical programmes for violation of the NOC issued by the capital administration.

One of the programmes was organised at the behest of PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat by students of a university, said the police.

One of the cases was registered under sections 506 ii, 353, 186, 188, 341, 148 and 149 of PPC against Umme Hassan, wife of Maulana Aziz and 100 others, in response to a complaint lodged by SI Khalid Javaid.

Ms Hassan along with four guards of Maulana Aziz and over 100 female students armed with batons and stones reached Jamia Hafsa on Friday around 10:45pm, the police said, adding later they marched towards Aabpara Chowk while chanting slogans against the capital administration.

They blocked the adjacent road of Lal Masjid and Aabpara Chowk. After getting information, police reached the spot and informed them about the ban on public gatherings. However, they put up resistance and scuffled with the police.

Later, they also broke the police cordon and reached Srinagar Highway and blocked it from both sides. They were protesting against a musical programme held at Gun Club.

Earlier, the police registered a case against the organisers of the musical programme at Gun Club under section 34, 14 and 188 of the PPC along with Amplifier Act. The case was registered after the organisers violated the NOC issued by the capital administration, including their failure to arrange proper security arrangements and using the loudspeaker at a high pitch.

The other case was registered against Ms Hassan and 100 others under sections 149, 148, 341, 188, 506 ii, 353 and 186 of PPC in response to a complaint lodged by SHO Nasir Manzoor. The FIR stated that on Saturday at around 10pm Ms Hassan along with five persons armed with Kalashnikovs and 90 underage students armed with batons and stones reached Lal Masjid from Jamia Hafsa.

They gathered on the road and were also joined by students from Lal Masjid, the police said. The protesters blocked the road from Lal Masjid to Aabpara Chowk and chanted slogans against the capital administration and a musical programme taking place at Shakarparian.

The police attempted to intercept them but the protesters broke the police cordon and marched towards the open air theatre at Shakarparian. A police team rushed towards the theatre to intercept the protesters but they put up resistance and scuffled with the police and tried to reach the theatre.

However, the police intercepted them near the theatre and later the programme concluded under the order of the magistrate.

The police also registered a case under sections 188, 341 and 109 along with amplifier act against the organisers of the event from International Islamic University Islamabad in response to a complaint lodged by SHO Nasir Manzoor for violation of the NOC issued by the administration. The violation included poor arrangements of security which led to disruption in traffic.

During the programme, over 16 supporters of the PTI delivered speeches against the government, the police said. The audience, comprising 3,000 to 4,000 students, also chanted slogans after being provoked by PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat and his colleagues.

The programme was organised at the behest of Mr Marwat and his colleagues, the police added.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2023