The city police have yet to arrest Maulana Zahoor Ahmad Alvi, chief cleric of Jamia Muhammadia, and some seminary students who allegedly manhandled police personnel when they tried to arrest them for putting up banners against Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid.
The police have already arrested four seminary students after lodging two different FIRs against them. Maulana Alvi has also been nominated in one of the FIRs because he allegedly scuffled with the police to thwart the arrest of the seminary students.
Those who have been arrested by police include Mohammad Sajjad, Abid Abbasi, Bilal and Abdul Jabbar, who according to the police were nominated in the FIR on charges of attacking the police personnel at the behest of Maulana Alvi.
Last week, banners targeting Information Minister Pervez Rashid, had been spotted at some points in the capital and called for his hanging, ostensibly over his remarks where he termed seminaries "centers of illiteracy".
"We have arrested these students red-handed, they were carrying banners inscribed with slogans against Information Minister Pervez Rashid," said SHO Aabpara Police Station, Khalid Mehmood Awan, while talking to Business Recorder.
He said that the banners were prepared by Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) and the seminary students were installing these in F-6 sector of the Federal Capital.
Hakim Khan, SHO Kohsar Police Station, said that Maulana Zahoor Alvi has been nominated in the FIR for manhandling police personnel and the police would soon arrest him.
When asked for the delay in his arrest, the official said that police were in the process of completing some legal formalities which would be completed in a day. "No one is above the law and the law will take its course sooner rather than later," he added.
When contacted, Maulana Zahoor Alvi denied that he had instructed his students to put up the banners. "The students got the banners from somewhere and they were standing in front of the National Press Club when some police personnel in plain clothes tried to arrest them," he said, adding that later he got to know about the incident and rushed to the spot.
"Because the personnel were in plain clothes that's why the students exchanged hot words with them that led to registration of FIRs against me and the students," Alvi said, adding that it was wrong that the students were equipped with sticks. He further said he and his seminary has nothing to do with these banners and they had no plans to stage any protest, adding they are peaceful people.
Pervez Rashid, clarified his statement in Senate on Monday, saying his remarks were not against all the seminaries but against those that fuel militancy, sectarianism and hatred in the country. "I've great respect for 'Ulema-e-Haq' but I oppose 'Ulema-e-Su' who had a role in fuelling terrorism," the minister stated in his clarification.
Various seminaries have taken a notice of the statement and are also planning to hold protest demonstration against the minister. However, Qari Mohammad Haneef Jalandhari of Wafaq-ul-Madaris, while talking to Business Recorder said that the Minister has clarified his statement regarding seminaries, which they would review in their next meeting to be held very soon.
"Wafaq-ul-Madaris will chalk out its future strategy whether to accept the clarification or go ahead with a protest drive," he added.
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