RAWALPINDI, Oct 6: Police have registered criminal cases against top leaders of Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam (JUI), including its chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman, for inciting people against the government and violating ban on recruiting people for Jihad. Dawn has learnt on Saturday.

The police said an unidentified gunman of JUI chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had been booked for violating a ban on display of arms. Maulana’s picture accompanied by his gunman brandishing an assault rifle was carried by the international and local media on Saturday.

Thousands of activists of the JUI, led by Maulana Fazlur Rehman, had held a rally at Committee Chowk against the United States for planning to attack Afghanistan. The speakers condemned the policies of the Musharraf government.

The police said Maulana Fazlur Rehman, while speaking on the occasion, had ordered his party to start recruiting Mujahideen to fight alongside Taliban and violated the ban on recruitment of people for Jihad.

The government has also ordered strict action against the printers/publishers of such magazines and publications publicising names of Pakistanis killed while fighting in Afghanistan and making appeal to the people to participate in Jihad.

The police said that Friday’s protest rally was an open violation of section 144 of the PPC and ban on display of arms, besides the speakers had incited people against the government.

Those who have been identified in the FIR included, Maulana Fazalur Rehman, Qari Saifullah, Qari Abdul Rasheed, Maulana Nazeer Qadri, Maulana Abdullah, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Maulana Abdul Majeed Hazarvi, Maulana Taj, Maulana Ashraf Ali and the unidentified gunman.

According to Waris Khan police, the FIR was lodged against the JUI leaders on Saturday on the complaint of Mujahid Hussain, the station house officer (SHO). However, no arrest has been made so far, the police said.