An anti-terrorism court in Lahore issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Marriyum Aurangzeb, former Information Minister and a prominent leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), on Saturday.
The warrants were issued after Aurangzeb’s repeated absence from hearings of a terrorism case filed against her last year.
The case, registered on September 19, 2022, implicated both Aurangzeb and senior PML-N leader Javed Latif for allegedly “using religion to instill and spread hatred” against Imran Khan, the chief of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party and former prime minister.
The FIR
According to the FIR, the complainant had said Latif accused the PTI chief of “attacking the basic principles of Islam” by “supporting” the Ahmadiyya community during his tenure.
“When Imran made the Naya Pakistan, units of Qadianis became active in Karachi […] Did Imran not give interviews to the foreign media in which he said that Qadianis will be given religious freedom,” Latif had said.
لاہور کے تھانہ گرین ٹاون میں جاوید لطیف، مریم اورنگزیب، ایم ڈی پی ٹی وی راشد بیگ اور پروگرام پروڈیوسر کے خلاف ATA 9/11X3کے تحت مقدہ درج کر لیا گیا ہے۔ کسی بھی شہری بشمول عمران خان کے خلاف مزہبی منافرت اور تشدد پر اکسانے کی اجازت نہیں دی جاے گی pic.twitter.com/BcSzoplf3m
— Hashim Dogar (@ColhashimDogar) September 19, 2022
The FIR had said Latif made the controversial remarks at the behest of the party leadership as well as Aurangzeb in order to spread religious hatred against Imran.
The complainant had said he watched another presser by Latif a day later wherein he insisted that he stood by his earlier statement.
The complainant said, “The world knows Imran Khan for his welfare work. He is a true Muslim, a Prophet (PBUH) lover and a patriotic Pakistani.
“He (Imran) made Quranic teachings in schools compulsory and also constituted Rehmatullil Alameen Authority. He also made it clear before the world through his speech at the United Nations that we will not tolerate blasphemy at any cost and raised his voice against Islamophobia which is matchless.
“In his news conference, Latif declared Imran a non-Muslim and deliberately used words to incite his followers to create a law and order situation.”
The FIR added that the PTI chief’s followers and supporters were enraged by the derogatory remarks of the PML-N leader.
“Latif made the controversial remarks at the behest of his party leadership as well as Marriyum in order to spread religious hatred against Imran.”
Complainant Rehman said that he had watched another news conference a day later in which Latif said that he stood by his earlier statement.
He demanded action be taken against the PML-N leaders and others nominated in the complaint under the law.
