Rasheed’s nephew taken into custody; FIR lodged against Imran, others under blasphemy laws
Federal Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah on Sunday vowed that former prime minister Imran Khan will be arrested in a case relating to hooliganism and sloganeering against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation visiting Masjid-e-Nabawi earlier this week.
In a statement, Sanaullah dubbed Imran Khan as “fitna” and said, “They will not be forgiven at all for what they did.” “Imran Khan will be arrested definitely,” he added.
Referring to the FIR registered against almost 150 people, including Imran Khan, the minister said that there is no justification for not filing a case against those who violated the sanctity of Roza-e-Rasool (PBUH).
The government will not create any obstacle if any citizen comes forward and seeks action in this regard, he added. The incident relating to the harassment of PML-N leaders at the holy mosque was preplanned, he said, adding that people were provoked to do this.
As per the planning, a group of people headed by Aneel Mussarat and Sahibzada Jahangir arrived in Saudi Arabia from the UK for hooliganism at the Masjid-e-Nabawi, he said.
“This man [Imran Khan] is bent on misleading the new generation,” he said and asked if anyone ever called for a protest on Chand Raat?
Talking about the plot behind the incident, the minister asked: “Is there any need for proof after Sheikh Rasheed’s press conference?”
Sanaullah said that the Saudi government has decided to take action against the people involved in the incident, adding that some people will be deported from the Kingdom.
Nobody can even think of taking personal animosity and politics to Masjid-e-Nabawi, he added.
Two separate groups, a 150-member group from Pakistan and another group from London, had been sent to Saudi Arabia, who harassed Pakistani pilgrims and stopped them from performing their religious rituals at Masjid-e-Nabawi, read the FIR.
Referring to the statements of Sheikh Rashid and Rashid Shafique, the complainant said that the incident took place under a premeditated conspiracy.
Meanwhile, former federal minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq was arrested at the Islamabad airport upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia in the wee hours of Sunday.
The arrest was made in connection with the incident of slogan chanting at Masjid-e-Nabawi against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation.
Sources affiliated with the airport staff said that Shafiq travelled to Pakistan through a private airline.
As the nephew of the ex-home minister returned on Sunday morning, officers in plain clothes along with Federal Investigation Agency immigration staff took him into custody. Following his arrest, FIA ??immigration officials refrained from giving statements.
The former interior minister’s nephew was handed over to the Attock Police Station, as a case has also been registered within the jurisdiction at the request of a local citizen in the context of the Masjid-e-Nabwi incident.
Rashid confirmed his nephew’s arrest, saying that he had just landed in Pakistan after performing Umrah when he was arrested.
“None of us were in Saudi Arabia, but cases were still registered [against us]. Residences are being raided after the registration of the cases,” Rashid said, condemning the arrest.
He further stated that people would “harass them wherever they went”.
Earlier, an FIR was lodged on Sunday against former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan and other top brass of the party in Faisalabad.
According to the report, the charges are brought against the leadership for involvement in the incident at Masjid-e-Nabwi, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and federal ministers were ridiculed by some Pakistani pilgrims.
The charges have been registered under Sections 295, 295-A, 296, and 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code, also referred to as ‘blasphemy laws’. The sections relate to harming a place of worship with intent to insult a religion, deliberate and malicious intent to outrage religious sentiment, disturbing religious assembly and abetment.
PTI leaders named in the FIR include; Imran Khan, Shahbaz Gill, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and his nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Fawad Chaudhry, Qasim Suri, Sahibzada Jahangir, and Aneel Musarrat.
In the wake of the incident in Saudi Arabia, arrests will be made in Faisalabad against prominent leaders, in a case registered against more than 150 people.
The complainant Muhammad Naeem, a resident of Faisalabad, claimed that the incident at the holy site, videos of which went viral, was a “planned out scheme and conspiracy”. He added that the videos shared on social media and speeches made by the PTI leaders prior to the coalition delegation’s visit were proof of the alleged crime.
He alleged that Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, Sheikh Rashid, Shahbaz Gill and Qasim Suri were part of a conspiracy under which other PTI leaders then led delegations to Saudi Arabia to carry out the actions at the holy mosque, which were then posted on social media outlets.
According to a senior police officer, various cases have been registered against the PTI leaders in different cities of Punjab.
Reacting to the news of the FIR, ex-information minister Fawad Chaudhry said “bring it on we will fight it” in a tweet.
PTI leader Shahbaz Gill, who has also been named in the case registered against top party leaders, also took to his official Twitter handle and said that the party was ready to fight the case.
