MANSEHRA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Mufti Kifaytullah has lamented harbouring a seminary cleric, Qari Shamsuddin, who sexually assaulted a student in Parhana area, last month.

“I had announced immediately after the incident had occurred that if the cleric was found guilty, I will never back him up and instead come forward in support of the victim’s family. Now that the DNA test has proven the seminary cleric guilty of the crime, I am no more with him,” Mr Kifaytullah told reporters here on Sunday.

He said that he would not respond to the allegations levelled against him by the victim’s family, saying that he was a sympathiser of the aggrieved family, but some people were creating differences between him and the affected family.

“We will extend all possible support to the family in order to take the culprit to justice as in our society there is no place for such criminals,” said JUI-F leader.

Meanwhile, SSP Arif Javed told reporters that complete chalan of the case along with DNA examination report would be submitted in the trial court on Monday (today).

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2020