INTERIOR Minister Rehman Malik on Saturday sought reply from the superintendent of police and suspended a station house officer for allowing a banned outfit to hold a public procession in Islamabad.
Talking to reporters, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said under the law, no defunct organisation could hold any rally or procession anywhere in the country.
On Friday, banned Sipah-e-Sahaba held a procession in G/9 sector, which was addressed by Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi.
Earlier, State Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Shaikh Waqas Akram pointed out the proposed procession of banned outfit in Islamabad and criticised Interior Minister Rehman Malik on the floor of the House for allowing a banned outfit to hold procession in the federal capital.
However, Malik had told the House that he had no knowledge of the pubic meeting.
The minister had said that he would get a report from the Islamabad police and would share it with parliamentarians.
On Saturday, the interior minister took notice of the issue and suspended Margalla Police SHO Irshad Ali Abro and sought a reply form the SP city.
“I have suspended the SHO concerned and sought a reply from a senior officer.
An inquiry has also been ordered to investigate into the matter,” Malik said. He said the police and administration had been directed to ensure security on the eve of Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH).
Malik said no defunct organisation would be allowed to take out procession on this occasion, adding that a case had been registered against two clerics who had made provocative speeches at the G/9 rally.
He said that no banned outfit would be allowed to collect funds under a new name. “The bank accounts of banned outfits would be investigated.”
Meanwhile, police sources said the SHO concerned was made a scapegoat as he had nothing to do with the public procession held by the banned outfit and he just provided security to participants of processions to avoid any
untoward incident.
They said that organizers of said procession conducted the rally after getting permission from the Islamabad district administration.
The said outfit has been holding an annual procession at G/9 for the last 17 years.