LAHORE: The Punjab government has removed the name of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party chief from the Fourth Schedule.
Dated November 10, a Home Department notification recalled Saad Hussain Rizvi “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”.
But the government on November 7 removed the radical party from the First Schedule as a proscribed organisation. “Therefore, [the] name of Hafiz Mohammad Saad is hereby deleted from the list […] with immediate effect,” it added.
According to Section 11-E of the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Fourth Schedule includes “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”.
According to the law, law enforcers keep an eye on the activities of persons included in the list. Furthermore, a person on the list is required to inform the respective district police officer (DPO) of his movement and failure in doing so might result in their arrest.
Rizvi, son of the late firebrand cleric Khadim Hussain Rizvi, was arrested in April on charges of inciting his followers and party activists to take the law into their own hands after, according to him, the government had reneged on its promise to expel the French ambassador over the publication of blasphemous caricatures.
His detention was scheduled to end on July 10 in light of a decision of the review board of the Supreme Court. However, the office of the deputy commissioner issued a fresh notification extending the detention for another three months under Section 11-EEE (powers to arrest and detain suspected persons) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
On August 2, Rizvi, through his uncle, filed another petition with the Lahore High Court (LHC), claiming the government extended his detention with “mala fide intention”. He said it implicated him in 14 criminal cases following his detention.
Through the petition, Rizvi’s uncle asked the court to declare the extension of the detention period illegal and order his release. Two weeks later, on August 17, the court sought replies from the authorities on the request.
Subsequently, on October 1, the court declared as illegal the detention of Rizvi. Following the court order, the Lahore deputy commissioner, Umer Sher Chattha, also issued orders for his release.
But on October 11, the Punjab government challenged in the Supreme Court the high court order declaring Rizvi’s detention as illegal and directing the provincial government to release him immediately.
The following day, the Supreme Court remanded the matter to the high court for a two-member special bench to decide after hearing arguments from both sides.
