- Interior Ministry points out 85 cases of misuse of loudspeakers, 14 cases for delivering hate speeches, distribution of hate material
ISLAMABAD: Over hundreds of cases of misuse of loudspeakers and hate material came on the surface in recent years in the federal capital, which raised serious questions over the non-implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP), Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to the official data, compiled by the Ministry of Interior Affairs and available with Pakistan Today, revealed that 85 cases related to misuse of loudspeakers by the clerics were registered by the capital police and 14 cases were registered against different clerics for delivering hate speeches and distribution of hate material in the city.
The data shows 27 people were arrested who belonged to different banned outfits as police recovered over 1000 pamphlets and CDs/DVDs from their possession. According to the data, 14 cases were registered in different police stations of the capital as Aabpara and Bara Kahu police stations are on the top where three cases were registered respectively.
The reaming cases were registered in the jurisdiction of the Shalimar Police Station, Secretariat, Margalla, Sabzi Mandi, Shehzad Town and Karachi Company police station.
In April 2016, the Aabpara police arrested two members of the banned outfits who were distributing pamphlets of the hate material and police recovered 260 pamphlets from their possession. Similarly, the same police station had registered a case against Kosar Abbas, Muhammad Asad and Tabbusam Abbas for delivering hate speeches which provoked sectarian violence during a procession of Chehlum.
The data revealed that on February 2, 2017, Bani Gala police registered a case against unidentified persons after police was informed that some (unidentified) people pasted pamphlets outside his house which had written that Taliban and Sipah-e-Sahaba zindaabad (long live). However, the (unidentified) persons are still at large.
Similarly, the data shows 85 cases were registered against misuse of loudspeakers and clerics were booked under Amplifier Act. The cases were registered in the jurisdiction of the Aabpara Police Station, Bara Kahu, secretariat, Margalla, Golra, Tarnol, Noon, Shehzad Town, Industrial Area, Bani Gala, Ramna, Sabzi Mandi police stations. Majority of the clerics had violated Section 144 and misused the loudspeakers during Friday’s prayers.
A senior official of the Interior Ministry, who requested not to quote his name, termed the situation is alarming. “If the federal capital has a high number of the cases in recent years then other provinces will definitely have a high number of cases too,” he pointed out.