ATC declares Saad Rizvi, 23 TLP leaders proclaimed offenders

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday declared Saad Rizvi and 23 other leaders of the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) proclaimed offenders in a case linked to attacks on police personnel last year.

Judge Manzer Ali Gill also issued perpetual arrest warrants for the absconding suspects after police told the court that they had gone into hiding to evade arrest.

The development came on an application moved by Badami Bagh police, which asked the court to declare the absconding suspects proclaimed offenders in a first information report registered under charges related to terrorism, inciting party workers to violence, and attacking law enforcement personnel.

Court proceedings

During the hearing, the investigating officer told the court that proclamations had already been published, but the suspects did not appear before the court. The officer further stated that the suspects had absconded out of fear of arrest.

Following the proceedings, the court declared the accused proclaimed offenders and issued perpetual arrest warrants for them.

Names of the accused

Those declared proclaimed offenders include Saad Rizvi, Ans Rizvi, Mian Jamil Ahmed Sharqpuri, Allama Farooqul Hassan, Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharqpuri, Mufti Abid Raza Qadri, Allama Usman Muzaffar, Dr Shafiq Ameeni, Hassan Butt, Usman Qadri, Saddam Hussain, Ali Wazir Asghar, Rashid Mahmood, Muhammad Naeem Shah, Allama Ashiq Hussain Rizvi, Aamir Beg, Allama Ghulam Abbas Faizi, Umair Jahangir, Akram Rizvi, Mufti Wazir Ali, Hassan Raza Naqshbandi, Abdul Waheed Qadri, Mehr Muhammad Qasim, Karamat Shamsuddin and Muhammad Mian Muneeb Farooq.

The case pertains to allegations involving attacks on police officials and accusations of inciting workers to violence. The court order was issued after police maintained that the suspects had remained in hiding despite the publication of proclamations.

The TLP is a banned organisation, and the case before the ATC relates to an FIR lodged by Badami Bagh police over terrorism-related allegations and attacks on law enforcement personnel.