Anti-terrorism court acquits Qari Zawwar Bahadur

LAHORE: JUP Vice President Qari Zawwar Bahadur was acquitted by an anti-terrorism court Tuesday by dismissing the charges of backing the accused of blasphemy against Ahle Bait, inciting people for violence, taking out illegal rally and blocking a road.

The elderly cleric was booked in a case over six months ago when he was among the leaders of a rally against the arrest of a noted religious scholar Dr Ashraf Asif Jalali in a case of blasphemy of Ahle Bait pertaining to a historic issue already settled by Muslim scholars centuries ago.

Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar was informed by defence counsel that Dr Ashraf Asif Jalali was already released on bail by the Lahore High Court on the same grounds that three major schools of thought had already settled the issue centuries ago. The judge asked the state prosecutor about the grounds to prosecute Qari Zawwar Bahadur further in the case, and finding the grounds insufficient, he acquitted him from all the charges.