Lahore CCPO orders crackdown against rickshaws with sectarian ads

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahmad Raza Tahir orders immediate crackdown against sectarian advertisements pasted on the back of rickshaws in the city. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE: Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ahmad Raza Tahir on Wednesday ordered an immediate crackdown against provocative and anti-religious material, and also directed the Traffic Police to take prompt action against sectarian advertisements pasted on the back of rickshaws in the city.

The orders were passed during the CCPO’s meeting with a ten-member delegation of ulema, led by Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi. The meeting was also attended by DIG Operations Ghulam Mehmood Dogar and other high-ranking officials.

Dr Naeemi told The Express Tribune that they had met the CCPO to express their concerns regarding the registration of FIRs against ulema under the Amplifier Act, and that this was discrimination and should not focus on just one sect and others using amplifiers should also be tried. He also said that provocative advertisement on the back of rickshaws and other vehicles were discussed, and the CCPO was also asked to solve the issue regarding illegal occupation of Mosques. The CCPO informed them that the matter was sub judice and they should wait for the issue to be settled in court.

Tahir appealed to the ulema to avoid the misuse of loudspeakers and keep the volume limited to the audience, ensure proper checking of people entering places of worship, and to ensure that cars, motorcycles and cycle stands were well away from the crowd.

He also called on them to stop giving sectarian sermons and instead forge an atmosphere of unity and brotherhood among their followers.

The CCPO called on the ulema to spread a message of peace, unity and brotherhood among their followers to defeat the aims of anti-state elements. He said the ulema can play a leading role in the maintenance of law and order in Lahore and help thwart the designs of terrorists.

Tahir noted that all segments of society will have to join hands to eliminate terrorism. He also assured the delegation that he would take timely action on their demands.

The ulema also gave the CCPO assurance of their cooperation.

Other members of the delegation included Maulana Muhammad Ali Naqshbandi, Mufti Muhammad Imran, Mufti Muhammad Haseeb Qadri, Mufti Kareem Khan, Maulana Imran-ul-Haq Farooqi, Maulana Murtaza Hashmi and Maulana Mujahid Abdul Rasool.

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