Police books Imran, 150 others under blasphemy laws

Lahore: A case under stringent blasphemy laws was registered against Pakistan's ousted premier Imran Khan and 150 others, including some members of his former cabinet, in connection with the hounding of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation at Masjid-e-Nabwi in Saudi Arabia, officials said. Video clips circulating on social media showed some pilgrims - apparently supporters of Khan – shouting ‘chor' (thief) and 'gaddar' (traitor) as soon as Sharif and other members of his delegation arrived at the Prophet's Mosque in Madina last Thursday.

The Pakistani pilgrims also used abusive language against the delegation members. Madina police claim to have arrested five Pakistanis involved in the sloganeering.

Punjab police on Saturday night registered an FIR against Khan, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and 150 others, including former federal ministers Fawad Chaudhry and Sheikh Rasheed, former adviser to the prime minister Shahbaz Gul, former deputy speaker of



the National Assembly Qasim Suri, and Khan's close aides in London, Anil Musarrat and Sahibzada Jehangir, officials said.

The case has been registered in a police station in Faisalabad, around 180 km from Lahore, on the complaint of local resident Naeem Bhatti on the charges of desecration of the Prophet's mosque in Madina, hooliganism and hurting the sentiments of Muslims, they said.

The FIR has been registered under different sections, including 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the FIR, over 100 supporters of Khan were sent to Saudi Arabia from Pakistan and the UK to carry out the mission of targeting Sharif and his delegation at Masjid-e-Nabwi in Madina. Khan and other nominated leaders of the PTI had given directions to party workers in this regard, it said