Peshawar police book organisers of Aurat March

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar police have booked the organisers and participants of the Aurat March on the orders of a local court on charges of commiting blasphemy.

Meanwhile, a sessions court of Lahore has dismissed a petition seeking an order for police to register a case against social activists Marvi Sirmad, Tooba Syed and over 2000 unidentified participants of Aurat March.

One Khalid Mehmood said the Lahore police refused to lodge an FIR against these persons on his application. He pleaded that the participants of the Aurat March commited multiple criminal offences besides displaying objectionable slogans.

The FIR was registered at the East Cantonment police station of Peshawar, under sections 295-A and C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which deals with “malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion and use of derogatory remarks in respect of Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).”

Five Peshawar-based lawyers led by Ibrar Hussain had filed a petition with the court of additional district and sessions judge Syed Shaukat Ali Shah last month seeking the registration of a case against the organisers and participants of the Aurat March in Islamabad under Section 22-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure over an alleged blasphemy.

On March 24, the court hearing the said petition had ordered the officials of East Cant police station to register the FIR against the March’s organisers.

In the FIR, the complainants said the Aurat March was held in Islamabad and other cities of the country on the occasion of the International Women’s Day on March 8.

They alleged that during the Islamabad event, the participants had utered derogatory remarks against the Holy Prophet Mohammad ( PBUH) and other sacred personalities of Muslims, and displayed un-islamic and obscene posters on the instructions of organisers hurting the feelings and sentiments of Muslims, including theirs.

The complainants also filed a contempt petition against the police for delaying the FIR registration.