Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Saad Hussain Rizvi is set to get married this week, reports Roznama 92.
Many important personalities are expected to attend Rizvi’s wedding. Allama Abdul Sattar Saeedi is expected to officiate the nikkah.
Rizvi’s valima (wedding reception) will be held on February 6 in Lahore.
On November 18, Saad Rizvi was released from jail before the death anniversary of his father, i.e. Khadim Hussain Rizvi. On November 7, the government had revoked the ban on TLP.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed, while speaking at a press conference about the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s (TLP) protests in the country, stated that he found the party’s leader Saad Hussain Rizvi “more cooperative” than others, reports Geo News.
He said the government has reached an understanding, and negotiations with the banned organisation are going well. In the press conference, he shared an agreement between the government and the TLP which will be presented in the National Assembly (NA) as per the minister.
He further clarified that the government was not interested in a confrontation with any organisation while mentioning that “no one should damage public property as well.”
According to the interior minister, he wants to conclude the matter once and for all because something new happens every six months and people face difficulties, reported Dawn.
According to Rasheed, the government will guard the commitment made to the banned organisation.
Regarding Rizvi’s release, the minister said, “A lot of other people insist on freeing him right now. Decisions cannot be taken right now. There is a legal process that we will follow. We will talk to the Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan [who is currently in Saudi Arabia] after his return tomorrow.”
He further said the premier had instructed his principal secretary before leaving for the visit to ask the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to unfreeze the accounts of TLP madrassah and to allow them to open new ones.
Furthermore, he disclosed that he had requested to not be included in the government’s negotiating committee because as per him [Rasheed] “it is not the work of the interior ministry but the Punjab government”, but the idea was rejected on the insistence of Saad Rizvi and another TLP leader, Ghulam Ghaus Baghdadi.
Earlier, the federal government announced that the cases against the TLP workers would be withdrawn by Wednesday (Oct 27) and assured them that the authorities would also oversee the charges imposed under the fourth schedule.
Under the Fourth Schedule, the suspects of terrorism and sectarianism are placed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
In a tweet, Rasheed said, “We have released 350 TLP workers up to now.”
Because of last week’s protest in Lahore, three policemen were martyred in clashes with TLP while the banned organisation had claimed that their 500 workers were injured.
Lahore police were put on high alert on Wednesday after the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) resumed protest activities by staging a massive sit-in on Multan Road near its headquarters at Masjid Rehmatul-lil-Aalemeen, for the release of TLP chief Hafiz Saad Hussain Rizvi, son of late Khadim Rizvi.
Rizvi is detained by the Punjab government since April 12 for “maintenance of public order (MPO)”. He was initially detained for three months and then again under the Anti-Terrorist Act on July 10. A federal review board is scheduled to take up the government’s reference against him on October 23, reports Dawn.
A division bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) is yet to be constituted to hear an appeal of the government against a decision of a single bench that had set aside the detention of the TLP leader.
Earlier, the TLP took out a massive rally on 12th of Rabiul Awal (Tuesday), where its senior leaders delivered fiery speeches, accusing the government of using delay tactics in releasing Saad Rizvi.
The Pakistani man who attacked the former offices of French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, last September was radicalised by videos of preachers in his home country and anti-France demonstrations at the time, AFP reported, citing a local newspaper.
According to Le Parisien, police investigation has revealed the 26-year-old had spent the days leading up to his knife attack watching extremist preachers on YouTube and TikTok denouncing France and Charlie Hebdo.
“I couldn’t eat. I was crying watching the videos,” Zaheer Hassan Mahmood told investigators.
Weeks before, the magazine had republished sketches of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), which were considered blasphemous by Muslims, to mark the start of a trial of men linked to a 2015 attack on its offices.
Mahmood said he did not realise the magazine had moved offices after the 2015 attack and presumed the two people he slashed with a meat cleaver were employees of the publication, the report said.
Both victims, who worked for a TV production company with no links to Charlie Hebdo, sustained serious injuries.
Mahmood, from the village of Kothli Qazi in Punjab province, had entered France with false papers showing him as an unaccompanied minor, enabling him to claim asylum.
Islamist groups organised demonstrations in Pakistan in September against Charlie Hebdo and French President Emmanuel Macron, who defended freedom of expression and blasphemy, which is legal in France.
Mahmood watched videos by Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the late founder of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party, and other radical preachers.
He was also influenced by Prime Minister Imran Khan, who accused Macron of “attacking Islam”, the newspaper said.
Blasphemy is a criminal act in Pakistan, where laws allow death penalty for anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or Islamic personalities.
Mahmood said he initially intended to damage the office building, rather than attack people, and has offered to apologise to his victims.
Investigators have found a video he sent to a friend the day before his attack which called for the decapitation of blasphemers, and he received a call from Greece the same day which appeared to refer to a pre-meditated assault.
He has been charged with “attempted murder with relation to a terrorist enterprise”.
In yet another faux pas, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz has accidentally retweeted, and then deleted, a picture of welcome of the late Tehreek-e-Labbaik (TLP) leader Khadim Rizvi, mistaking it for her own in.
As per the details, Maryam retweeted the picture of Rizvi’s welcome at the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore, falling for the claim that the rose petals-covered roads were from Daska where she arrived on Saturday ahead of a by-election in the NA-75 constituency.
The election on February 19 comes after the seat fell vacant following the demise of the PML-N’s Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah.
“Alhamdulillah,” Maryam had written while retweeting the picture that can no longer be found on her Twitter.
It wasn’t later when people, especially members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), pointed out what was wrong with the tweet.
Earlier, Maryam said that the by-election in Daska was not just an election but a “battle”.
The PML-N has given ticket to late MNA Shah’s daughter Nosheen Iftikhar.
In her speech, Maryam blamed the government for rising inflation in the country.
“When their ministers are told that inflation has increased and people are dying of hunger, they say decrease your expenses,” the PML-N leader said, referring to Information Minister Shibli Faraz’s recent statement.
She added that the government had promised to create 10 million jobs in Pakistan but not a single man in Daska got any job.
A rather tough year has came to an end, surprisingly, in the blink of an eye.
But while it negates the belief that hard times pass slow, here are all the major updates that added to the very happening COVID-19-infected year as most of the world stayed indoors.
Extension for Gen Bajwa
After some drama following earlier reservations, the Supreme Court (SC) on November 28, 2019 approved a short 6-month extension in General Bajwa’s term as the chief of army staff.
Subsequently, on January 7, 2020, the National Assembly passed three bills concerning the tenure of the three services chiefs — chief of army staff, chief of air staff and chief of naval staff — and the chairman of the joint chief of staff committee.
Gen Bajwa was granted extension up to three years till November 29, 2022.
Surprisingly though, the two major opposition parties — PML-N and PPP — were on board for the changes which was why the bills faced no resistance even in the opposition-dominated Senate.
Smooth sailing of the Army Act was also what prompted Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda to bring with him an army boot to a live talkshow.
Coronavirus
After wreaking havoc in China and beginning to do the same in Europe as well as the worst-hit US, the first case of COVID-19 was reported from Karachi on February 26, 2020. Hundreds of thousands of infections and several deaths were reported.
Prominent figures were also on the list of COVID-19 patients.
Amid spotless management and timely closures as well as public behaviour in line with coronavirus SOPs, Pakistan managed to contain the outbreak as soon as the first wave peaked in July-August.
A second wave is, however, currently underway since after the reopening of businesses and educational institutions besides other businesses.
While Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s smart lockdowns stay in place to deal with the pandemic but not at the cost of livelihoods, it is too early to predict what 2021 would hold for Pakistan with vaccines rolling out but also the discovery of a new strand of the virus.
PIA Crash
A plane crash killed 97 people on May 22, which was said to be a result of human error by the pilot and air traffic control.
Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan said the pilots of the Karachi-bound PK8308 flight of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) from Lahore were distracted while talking about coronavirus.
The passenger plane came down on houses in Karachi with only two survivors. Subsequent investigations into the licenses of Pakistani pilots led to the grounding of hundreds across the globe and the imposition of a temporary ban on PIA flights to Europe and the United States (US).
Karachi Rains
Around 30 to 40 people lost their lives in various rain-related incidents in the port city lacking monsoon infrastructure.
While blame games continued as authorities hesitated to take responsibility for the misery of people of the country’s largest city, the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) said it wanted all stakeholders to contribute to ameliorating the situation instead of politicising a “pure natural disaster”.
The situation was improved after the intervention of the federal government and a military-aided rescue operation.
Opposition Alliance
The year also witnessed a rather common sight in Pakistan when opposition parties put their differences aside in an attempt to oust the PTI government.
After a round of meetings, almost all opposition parties, including PPP, PML-N, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), Awami National Party, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Balochistan National Party among others, launched a series of countrywide protests.
While the highlight of the protests remained Nawaz Sharif’s fiery speeches and Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari’s entry into politics, no leader seemed to be going easy on the government.
The foremost demand of the 11-party alliance, named Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), is the resignation of “selected” Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan. It has threatened to march to Islamabad if the premier doesn’t resign before midnight on December 31 (today).
While the opposition seems satisfied with its anti-government campaign, the government is confident of cracks emerging within PDM ranks before it could pose an actual threat.
Khadim Rizvi’s Death
Renowned cleric and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi passed away on November 19.
Earlier it was reported that he was suffering from high-grade fever for the past couple of days, which had led to speculations if he was suffering from COVID-19.
While the cause of his sudden death was not determined, his funeral prayers in Lahore were attended by hundreds of thousands of supporters from across the globe, adding to COVID-19 superspreader event fears.
Rizvi, who had returned from a sit-in protest against French president’s take on blasphemy a day before his death, was known for his aggressive speeches besides promotion of extremist element in the religio-political landscape of the country.
Amid rumours that the military establishment has something to do with the deaths of radical cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Seth, and accountability judge Arshad Malik, retired general Ghulam Mustafa said that the establishment doesn’t have anything to do with these deaths.
In a video posted on YouTube, he said it was concerning that people were paying heed to the ideas that were detrimental to Pakistan.
He said people should need to think before they go public with such ideas, urging the youth on social media not to go far in support of ideas for the sake of others. “This can come back to haunt you or your family,” the ex-general added.
Rizvi died the previous month a day after the TLP protesters and government reached an agreement following a day-long sit-in at Faizabad. The TLP wanted the government to take action against France, such as the boycott of products and the expulsion of its envoy, over blasphemous cartoons. His death had led to speculation that it may not be due to natural causes.
Last month, PHC CJ Waqar Seth also breathed his last due to COVID-19. The judge made headlines for his stern ruling wherein he said ex-general Pervez Musharraf must be hanged for subverting the constitution, and if he dies before his body should be hanged at D-Chowk for three days. The judge also struck down dozens of sentences awarded by the military courts on the basis of lack of evidence.
And Arshad Malik, the judge who sentenced ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif in Al-Azizia reference, too died this week due to COVID-19. Last year, PML-N VP Maryam Nawaz along with top party leadership, held a press conference, wherein she said that Malik was coerced to give a verdict against Nawaz. She played a purported video of Malik to back her claims. The judge was subsequently dismissed, though he contested the veracity of videos.
The demise of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi has been condoled by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa among others.
Rizvi, who rose to fame following a sit-in at Faizabad Interchange against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in 2018. His party also opposed the release of Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who spent almost a decade on death row over false blasphemy accusations.
In a tweet, the prime minister said: On the passing of Maulana Khadim Hussain Rizvi my condolences go to his family. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.”
In a tweet, the military media wing shared Gen Bajwa’s reaction to the death of the cleric. “General Qamar Javed Bajwa,#COAS, expresses heartfelt condolence on the sad demise of Allama Khadim Hussain Rizvi. “May Allah Almighty bless the departed soul in eternal peace.”
Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri also expressed grief and sorrow on the TLP chief’s death. He said: “Pakistan has lost a respected religious scholar and true admirer of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)”, adding that his “services for Islam will be remembered for long”.
In a tweet, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq expressed shock and grief over Rizvi’s sudden demise, saying his party shared the sorrow of his family members and TLP workers.
On Thursday night, Rizvi died in Lahore supposedly due to coronavirus. Reports suggest that the cleric was suffering from the viral infection because he had high-grade fever for the past couple of days in addition to other complications.
Rizvi is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters.
It may be noted here that Rizvi led a recent TLP rally in Islamabad against the blasphemous cartoons in a French magazine. Things had taken an ugly turn when participants of the protest-turned-sit-in had clashed with law enforcement personnel, resulting in over a dozen injuries.
The law and order situation had been dealt with by the government after accepting the protesters’ demands.
Renowned cleric and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi passed away on Thursday.
Earlier it was reported that he was suffering from high-grade fever for the past couple of days, which had led to speculations if he was suffering from COVID-19.
The same was claimed by journalist Mubashir Zaidi, who quoted a hospital spokesperson.
While TLP leaders have confirmed reports of Rizvi’s passing, conflicting reports claim that the cleric was not suffering from any illness.
Meanwhile, condolences are pouring in over social media as people say they “forgive” the late religious leader who was known for his aggressive speeches besides promotion of extremist element in the religio-political landscape of the country.
He had just earlier this week led a protest rally in the federal capital against the publication of blasphemous cartoons by a French satirical magazine.
Things had taken an ugly turn when participants of the protest-turned-sit-in had clashed with law enforcement.
The law and order situation had been dealt with by the government after accepting the protesters’ demands.
Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) chief Khadim Hussain Rizvi has said that he would not let Sarmad Khoosat’s film Zindagi Tamasha release no matter what anyone does, Pakistan Today reported.
“We will not let Zindagi Tamasha release and will do whatever it takes to make sure it does not see the light of day,” he said, adding ‘jo karna hai kar lo’ (do whatever you can), as he addressed party workers and supporters at Faisal Chowk on Kashmir Solidarity Day.
Earlier on January 28, the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) had set up a four-member committee that would review the film Zindagi Tamasha and submit a report to CII Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz.
The members of this committee include Ghulam Majid, Abdul Rasheed, Taaj Muhammad and Muhammad Ashfaq, all of whom are said to be experts in the concepts of Shariah.
“All the members are competent and hold qualifications in Islam and social sciences. They belong to CII’s research wing and were selected for this task after going through an interview process. We have shown them the CBFC letter and advised them on how to review the film, keeping religious sentiments in mind,” CII’s Media Coordinator Rana Zahid had said.
“The Council’s supreme body will further take a decision regarding the film after viewing the report,” he said.
He further told that the CII has sent a letter notifying the CBFC of its plan of action in the first phase and is expecting a reply soon.
According to another anonymous member of the CII, the four member bench will also question the viewpoint of CBFC members over objectionable dialogues.
“How were these dialogues and scenes that hurt the sentiments of the public even cleared if they (CBFC) watched the film? The reply of the CBFC members will also be a part of the report. We are just concerned over the objectionable dialogues that hurt the public. We have no concern otherwise. No scene or dialogue that hurts religious sentiments, would be allowed to pass,” said the member.