DNA
FAISALABAD
A FIR has been lodged against former prime minister Imran Khan and other top leadership of the party in Faisalabad for allegedly harassing and stopping Pakistani pilgrims from performing their rituals earlier this week. According to the report, the charges are brought for involvement in the incident at, where Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and federal ministers were ridiculed by some Pakistani pilgrims. The case has been registered against the suspects at the Madina Town Police Station in Faisalabad on the complaint of a citizen named M Naeem.
The PTI leaders named in the FIR include; Imran Khan, Shahbaz Gill,
Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and his nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Fawad Chaudhry,
Qasim Suri, Aneel Musarrat, a British-Pakistani businessman, and others.
The former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad’s nephew was arrested
by government as soon as his plane landed at New Islamabad International
Airport.
Two separate groups, a 150-member group from Pakistan and another group
from London, had been sent to Saudi Arabia, who harassed Pakistani
pilgrims and stopped them from performing their religious rituals at, read the FIR.
Referring to the statements of Sheikh Rashid and Rashid Shafique, the
complainant said that the incident took place under a premeditated
conspiracy.
Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister has hinted that
former prime minister Imran Khan could be arrested in a case relating to
sloganeering against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his delegation at.
the incident relating to the harassment of
PML-N leaders at the holy mosque was preplanned and about 100-150 people
were involved in the incident.
The minister further said that the Saudi government has decided to take
action against the people involved in the incident, adding that some
people will be deported from the Kingdom.
Condemning the FIR against the former prime minister, PTI leader Asad
Umar said that no one in recent history has fought the case against
Islamophobia with more passion, logic and deep conviction than Imran
Khan.
Taking to Twitter, Umar wrote: “To file a ridiculous FIR against him
trying to show that he had anything to do with disrespect of masjid e
nabavi, is condemnable and reprehensible.”
Sources affiliated with the airport staff said that Shafiq travelled to
Pakistan through a private airline.
Rashid confirmed his nephew’s arrest, saying that he had just landed in
Pakistan after performing Umrah when he was arrested.
“None of us were in Saudi Arabia, but cases were still registered
[against us]. Residences are being raided after the registration of the
cases,” Rashid said, condemning the arrest. He further stated that
people would “harass them wherever they went”. DNA
