Religious scholar, others held for staging pro-Taliban rally

PESHAWAR: Police in the provincial capital arrested a religious scholar and others for taking out a pro-Taliban rally on the University Road, raising slogans carrying flags of the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,' sources said on Sunday.

An official confirmed that a case had been lodged at the Regi Police Station after seeking legal opinion from the district prosecutor.

The case was lodged against Maulana Maroof Jan and others. The sections of laws mentioned in the first information report were 11F, 11G Act 1997, 148 and 149.

The official confirmed that Maulana Maroof Jan and a few others had been arrested. He added the cops were investigating to identify and arrest those who were carrying flags in the posh area of Peshawar.

A number of people on motorbikes and in cars were seen in a video that went viral on social media. They were chanting slogans in favour of Taliban on the main University Road near Hayatabad on Friday night.

Some people were also seen carrying flags of the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan'. The people in the video were said to be returning after attending a funeral in Regi.

A senior police official said teams were constituted to identify those seen in the video, chanting slogans in favour of the Taliban and carrying the flags.