Faizabad sit-in: Court orders arrest Khadim Rizvi, Afzal Qadri

Faizabad sit-in: Court orders arrest Khadim Rizvi, Afzal Qadri

Islamabad (Staff Report): An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Monday ordered to arrest the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan's (TLP) Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Pir Afzal Qadri and other absconding suspects in Faizabad sit-in case.

The court issued order of their arrest after they failed to appear before the court despite being issued multiple summons.

The ATC had previously issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Rizvi and other clerics after they did not respond to various summons.

The Faizabad sit-in, organised by religious parties in November 2017. The protesters believed that during the passage of the Elections Act 2017, the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat oath was deliberately modified as part of some conspiracy.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court (SC) had rejected Inter-Services Intelligence's (ISI) report on the Faizabad sit-in, calling it "unsatisfactory".

A two-member bench of the apex court, comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Qazi Faez Isa, heard a suo motu case regarding last year’s Faizabad sit-in.

Justice Alam questioned why the ISI did not mention the source of Khadim Rizvi’s income, bank accounts and whether he pays tax or not. “I fear for the country after seeing the performance of premier agency [ISI],” Justice Qazi Faez Isa said.

The bench has summoned Attorney-General, Ashtar Ausaf Ali (AGP) on next date of hearing.