The Interior Ministry has announced that strict measures will be taken against students involved in or promoting violent activities, including their names being added to the Fourth Schedule.
According to Section 11EE of the ATA, the Fourth Schedule is to include “any person who is an activist, office-bearer or an associate of an organisation kept under observation … or proscribed … or … affiliated with any group or organisation suspected to be involved in terrorism or sectarianism.”
If an individual’s name is added to the Fourth Schedule, many of his/her constitutional rights are suspended, such as the cancellation of the identity cards and passports, prohibition from leaving their city, and denial of character certificates from any educational institution.
The notification issued by the Interior Ministry emphasised that departments should be ready for action against potential troublemakers, The News reported.
Last week, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announced that it would launch a movement for the restoration of the Constitution and revival of the student unions in the country.
A sessions court in Islamabad has approved till October 13 the interim bail plea of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a case pertaining to his controversial remarks against a female judge during a rally in Islamabad.
Sessions court judge Kamran Basharat Mufti approved Khan’s interim bail plea, filed by Babar Awan, after a short hearing. Khan has been asked to pay surety bonds of Rs50,000.
Awan, while speaking to media after the hearing, said that all the cases against Khan are false.
“PTI is returning [to power] with two-third majority. If there is anyone who can bring change, it is Imran Khan,” he said. The lawyer said that the PTI chair has never ever given the excuse of being ill.
Awan went on to say that the infamous cypher that Imran Khan blames for the toppling if his government, was an “interference and conspiracy.”
“We don’t accept anyone who talks against Pakistan,” he said.
Earlier, on September 19, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) cancelled the terror charges against the former Prime Minister and ordered that the case be transferred to a relevant court under the remaining sections in the FIR.
Following the order the anti-terrorism court, on September 20, transferred the case to a sessions court and removed the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) section from the case.
On September 22, during a hearing of a contempt case in IHC, Imran Khan also requested the court to allow him to apologise to Additional District and Session Judge Zeba Chaudhry in person.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered government authorities to drop terror charges against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a case pertaining to alleged threats made against police officials and a female judge.
Khan was booked in a case under the section of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for threatening remarks against Additional Sessional Judge Zeba Chaudhry and officials of the Islamabad Police during a rally in Islamabad on August 20.
Earlier, PTI approached the high court to grant Khan transit bail, but at the time the court had directed the former premier to approach an ATC since it was a terror case.
On September 14, Khan appeared before Islamabad Police’s Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for questioning in connection with a terrorism case registered against him.
Talking about the case there, he said, “This is a joke in front of the entire world. Why? Because everyone knows me, there have been headlines across the world that an FIR (first information report) has been registered against Imran Khan on terrorism charges.”
The United States (US) refused to comment on the terrorism case registered against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.
“This is a matter for the Pakistani legal and judicial system”, said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
“It is not directly a matter for the US and that’s because we don’t have a position on one political candidate or party versus any other political candidate or party.”
Ned Price added that the US supports the “peaceful upholding of democratic, constitutional, and legal principles in Pakistan and around the world”.
Imran Khan was booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) after he threatened Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry and senior officers of the Islamabad Police. However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted transit bail to Khan till August 25.
The IHC also issued a show-cause notice to the PTI chairman today (August 23) and summoned him on August 31 in a contempt of court case.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has imposed a ban with immediate effect on the live telecast of speeches of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Khan after he threatened the police, bureaucracy, and Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry.
PEMRA issued a six-page notification stating it has been observed that Imran Khan is continuously levelling baseless accusations in his speeches and statements against national institutions and spreading hatred in his speeches.
According to PEMRA, the ban has been put in place under Section 27 of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002. PEMRA also warned news channels of strict action if the directives were not followed.
According to various news reports, the government has lodged a first information report (FIR) against Khan under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for threatening a judge and two top police officials during his speech yesterday (August 20).
Be ready, we will take action against you: Khan
On August 20, addressing a party rally in the federal capital’s F-9 park to express solidarity with Shahbaz Gill, Khan threatened Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry.
“Zeba! Be ready, we will take action against you.”
ADSJ Zeba Chaudhry had approved Gill’s two-day physical remand at the request of the capital police.
Khan threatened that he would “not spare” Islamabad’s inspector-general (IG), deputy inspector general (DIG).
“IGP and DIG! We will not spare you.”
He further said that if a case can be registered against Gill, then Fazlur Rehman, Nawaz Sharif, and Rana Sanaullah will also face judicial proceedings.
“They [coalition government] are trying to scare us by torturing Gill,” he said, adding that this is a “decisive moment” for the people of the country.
We did nothing: Police tells Khan
Khan again called on the “neutrals” (military establishment) to stand with the nation rather than the “gang of thieves”, in reference to the ruling coalition. He said he wanted to ask the neutrals if they were “really neutral”. He also alleged that the Islamabad police was taking orders for action against his party leaders from ‘someone’.
“When I asked the police to tell me what did they do to Shahbaz Gill’ they said: ‘We did nothing, we got a boot from behind to follow orders’,” Khan said while announcing to move the Supreme Court against the alleged torture of Gill.
The Punjab government on Wednesday removed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Chief Saad Hussain Rizvi’s name from the Fourth Schedule — a list of proscribed individuals who are suspected of terrorism or sectarianism under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, reports Dawn.
The Punjab Home Department issued a statement: “The name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad, being Ameer of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan, a proscribed organisation, was listed in the 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, under Section 11-E on the recommendations of District Intelligence Committee, Lahore.”
A copy of the Punjab Home Department notification
“Therefore, name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad is hereby deleted from the list of 4th Schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, with immediate effect,” it stated.
Police had arrested Rizvi on April 12 this year ahead of planned protests by the TLP.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed on Thursday said, “I want to state this on oath, I don’t know what the agreement with Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) is.”
The minister when questioned about the “secretive agreement” of the government with TLP, responded that thankfully he has been able to escape problems and said, “I am not a part of this problem.”
Last year, the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) had demanded the expulsion of the French ambassador and a boycott of French products, asking the federal government to take “practical steps” otherwise it would be compelled to take “extreme action”.
After the government’s refusal, a rally was led by then-TLP chief Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi, who urged the federal government to “declare jihad” against France.
Protests erupted across major cities in Pakistan.
On April 12 after the now-proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Saad Hussain Rizvi was detained by security forces in Lahore, TLP again started protests and threatened the state to adhere to the parties demands.
After the violent rallies, TLP was placed in the list of proscribed organisations, under the 1st schedule of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ &K) Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 2014.
TLP was involved in political activities and carrying out its election campaigns in AJK, for the polls which were to be held on July 25.
Under ATA, banned organisations are not allowed to engage in any political activities.
However, despite the ban, TLP also participated in the NA-249 by-elections in Karachi on April 28. TLP came third in the Karachi by-election.
Yesterday, in Sialkot, PP-38 constituency, a candidate from the TLP participated as a candidate for the election.
Talking to The Current, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry while commenting on the recent participation of the party in the by-elections said, “The government went about it in a legal way, which was to first announce that Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has been banned.”
“It gave them (TLP) the right to appeal the government’s decision. Their appeal was reviewed by the federal cabinet, which dismissed their appeal,” added Fawad.
“Now when it comes to their political participation in the Sialkot elections: they were not allowed to take part in any electoral activity,” said the federal minister.
Fawad added, “The government has notified that the TLP has been proscribed and therefore cannot take part in any activities. Now, this notification will go to the Supreme Court (SC) and proceedings will take place in the apex court as per Pakistan’s Election Act.”
“TLP will not be able to take part in the elections if the SC decides to uphold their ban and consequently bans them under the Election Act, 2017,” stated the information minister.
