The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah Thursday stopped the police from registering ‘blasphemy’ cases against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The case hearing has been adjourned for two weeks and summoned by the attorney general in the next hearing.
IHC CJ Athar Minallah remarked that it is the responsibility of the political leadership to create harmony in society.
“Religious sentiments are important but the state has some responsibility. We have seen that religion was used in the past and it is the Constitution which united people,” CJ remarked.
Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that he saw the FIR and it should not have been registered at first and in general the cases registered in Pakistan are not correct.
The IHC CJ said using religion for politics is tantamount to contempt to oneself and a serious violation of human rights.”
CJ said that things will go wrong if society will not have tolerance and forgiveness.
IHC CJ remarked, “What happened in Madinah city was absolutely not the right thing but it occurred there.”
The top judge of the Islamabad High Court said that there should be some rules of policies and religion must not be used for politics.
Former information minister Fawad Chaudhary appeared before the IHC and said that he was surprised at the lodging of such cases.
Fawad Chaudhary said, "We have full commitment. We will not use religious cards against each other. The government should also not use the religious cards.”
Fawad said that he witnessed martial laws and other discriminations in the past but never a contempt of religion case was registered.
He said he has close relations with the Law Minister but he was surprised by his statements. Fawad added, “This trend that has started will pose dangerous consequences.”
Last week, Fawad Chaudhary moved IHC against the lodging of such cases. The Federation of Pakistan through the interior secretary, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as well as the police chiefs of Islamabad, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan were made respondents in the case.
Reporter Ehtisham Kiyani