Daily Times

The Lahore High Court on Thursday withdrew an amnesty it had earlier been willing to grant to Khadim Hussain Rizvi, saying the time to provide a written guarantee promising that Rizvi will not disrupt law and order if provided bail has now ‘passed’, a private TV channel reported.

During a hearing on Monday, the LHC had hinted at releasing Rizvi if he provided a written affidavit saying he would not create unrest in the society if released on bail.

As the hearing started on Thursday, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Qasim Khan asked Rizvi’s counsels if they had managed to procure a written guarantee from the TLP leader that would help his application for bail. The court was told that the lawyers had so far not been able to meet their client as the day set for meetings was Friday. “Is Rizvi ready to provide a written guarantee?” asked Justice Qasim Khan. “He should state that he will never again give any such instructions [encouraging them to cause a law and order situation] to his people.”

At this point, the lawyer representing Rizvi seemed to resist the demands being placed on his client. “The government arrested Rizvi despite the [Faizabad] agreement,” he contended. To which Justice Khan asked, “Where is it written in the agreement that people who take the law in their own hands will not be arrested? Or are you saying that the government deceived Rizvi?” “Yes, the government deceived Rizvi. He was leading a peaceful protest,” the lawyer maintained.

Court says the time for TLP chief to provide a written guarantee has now ‘passed’

That line of argument did not seem to go down well with the court. Though the lawyer then said he will present a guarantee from Rizvi, the court said the time for such a guarantee had passed and the bail plea will now be decided on its merits.

The hearing was subsequently adjourned for a week.

Rizvi was taken into ‘protective custody’ by police in Lahore on November 23, 2018, after law enforcement agencies launched a massive crackdown against workers of TLP and Tehreek-i-Labbaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYRA).

The crackdown came following Rizvi’s call to party members to observe ‘martyr’s day’ on November 25, the anniversary of the Faizabad sit-in. Rizvi had asked workers and supporters to gather at the Faizabad Interchange in Islamabad – the same venue where his party had staged a weeks-long sit-in in November 2017 virtually paralysing the federal capital and leading to several people losing their lives.

Rizvi’s arrest also came weeks after the TLP led three-day protests across the country against the acquittal of Aasia Bibi – a Christian woman whose blasphemy conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court at the end of last month.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Mutahidda Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) have filed petitions in the Supreme Court, urging it to review its Feb 6 verdict in the case.

The PTI plea urged the court to review its order, especially its paragraph 22.

The PTI in its plea said that apex court should review its verdict as it has mentioned the party’s 2014 sit-in in the decision. While MQM-P adopted a stance that paragraph 22 of Faizabad sit-in verdict has compared the sit-in with May 12 massacre, which should be reviewed.

Both the parties have requested the apex court to review its decision.