JUI-F demands removal of leaders’ names from Fourth Schedule

In a meeting with Sindh police chief Mushtaq Mahar on Thursday, Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl Sindh’s secretary-general Dr Rashid Soomro demanded of him to remove names of party leaders from the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997.

Soomro said more than 30 leaders from the province’s various parts, including Karachi, had been placed on the Fourth Schedule.

The Fourth Schedule is a list of proscribed individuals who are suspected of terrorism and/or sectarianism under Section 11EE of the ATA 1997, which states that whenever the government receives information that an individual is associated with an organisation kept under observation, it may recommend the person’s name for the Fourth Schedule.

Soomro told the police chief that the JUI-F was a peaceful religio-political party and it would not tolerate the placement of leaders’ names in the list.

IG Mehar assured Soomro that names of his party’s office-bearers’ would be immediately removed from the terror watch list. Soomro also expressed his concerns over a slow investigation into the murder of Maulana Adil Khan, the head of Jamia Farooqia seminary, and the attack on prayer leader Mufti Abdullah. Khan was gunned down along with his driver in a targeted attack in Shah Faisal Colony on October 11 while Abdullah was injured in an attack on Nov 2 in the Jamshed Road area.

Soomro asked the IG to provide security for the event marking the death anniversary of the party’s slain secretary-general Dr Khalid Memhood Soomro.

Karachi police chief

Leaders of the Karachi Ulema Committee called on Karachi’s acting police chief Arif Hanif to discuss the progress of the ongoing investigation into the murder of religious scholar Maulana Adil.

The religious scholars who met Hanif included Qari Muhamamd Usman, Maulana Iqbalullah, Maulana Hakeem Mzahar, Mufti Anas Adil, Mufti Noman Naeem and Maulana Ibrahim Sakargahi.

Counter-Terrorism Department DIG Omar Shahid Hamid gave a presentation to the religious scholars on the progress of the probe, said a KUC press release. DIG Admin Amin Yousafzai, DIG South Javed Akbar Riaz and other senior police officials were present in the meeting. The participants were also briefed on the security of seminaries and key religious scholars.