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| India-Pakistan |
| Maulana Aziz's name to stay in fourth schedule of ATA |
| 2014-04-25 |
| [DAWN] The chief commissioner and the senior superintendent of Islamabad police have refused to remove the name of Abdul Aziz, the former Lal Masjid Khateeb, from the fourth schedule of the Anti Terrorism Act (ATA). They have argued that the holy man not only created security issues but also tried to demoralise the army. This argument was presented in their response submitted to the Islamabad High Court, which is hearing a petition from the holy man asking that his name be removed from the fourth schedule. The fourth schedule is a section of the ATA under which some one who is suspected of terrorism is kept under observation; it is mandatory for him to register his attendance with the local police regularly. The federal government on August 3, 2005, had put Maulana Abdul Aziz ...nutball holy man who runs the Lal Masjid in the heart of Pakistain's capital. After instigating a rebellion against the state in 2007, he was caught trying to sneak away dressed in a burka. He rejects democracy as un-Islamic, which it probably is... on the fourth schedule for his alleged anti-state activities. The notification stated, "The chief commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has received information that Maulana Abdul Aziz, resident of Lal Masjid, is affiliated with and involved in activities related to the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain ...a Sunni Deobandi organization, a formerly registered Pak political party, established in the early 1980s in Jhang by Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi. Its stated goal is to oppose Shia influence in Pakistain. They're not too big on Brelvis, either. Or Christians. Or anybody else who's not them. The organization was bannedin 2002 as a terrorist organization, but somehow it keeps ticking along, piling up the corpse counts... , which had been banned by the federal government in 2002." However, there is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened... the issue is now being heard in the IHC and the chief commissioner and SSP Islamabad told the court that the petitioner's (Maulana Aziz) "anti-state activities are well known in Islamabad Their response adds that, "the petitioner continued anti-state activities after placing his name in the fourth schedule and finally he created major law and order situation in the capital city in... 2007" because of which the "Army had to be summoned under the relevant provisions of the constitution". Among other charges, the response states, "On February 22, 2004 petitioner convened a meeting of prominent Ulemas in Lal Masjid and a 'Fatwa' was issued against the Pakistain Army on carrying out "Wana" operation against terrorists." The two officers describe the 'Fatwa' as "seditious in nature" that demoralised the armed forces. The reply says that Maulana Aziz was removed from the position of Lal Masjid Khateeb after he admitted signing the 'Fatwa'. It alleged that Maulana Aziz challenged the writ of the government by establishing a state within state; announcing the establishment of a Shariah Court (SC) and inviting people to approach it; kidnapping local residents and foreign nationals as well as forcibly shutting down markets. The document also says that from 2000 to 2007, 40 cases were registered against the holy man in various cop shoppes for delivering hate speeches against the government. The reply pointed out that Maulana Aziz's name was placed on the fourth schedule and legally he was allowed to challenge the decision within a year; the "request is time barred" now. |
| Posted by:Fred |