CJP takes notice of damage caused to property during protests

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday took notice of the damage caused to public and private properties during the three-day countrywide protests by religious parties over the acquittal of Aasia Bibi in a blasphemy case.

The chief justice directed the federal as well as the provincial governments to assess the damage caused to public and private properties during these protests and submit their respective reports within three days.

He explained the purpose behind his taking cognizance of the protest sit-ins that paralysed the country for three days is to make up for the losses suffered by people owing to destructive activities of the protesters.

The three-day countrywide protests over the acquittal of Aasia Bibi ended last week when the federal government reached an agreement with the protesters.

The protests erupted across the country after the Supreme Court acquitted Aasia Bibi of blasphemy charge on Oct 31.

Hundreds of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) supporters, including their leaders, have been booked for disrupting peace, blocking roads and rioting across the country. On the directions of the government, the police have launched a crackdown on people involved in arson, vandalism, violence and attacking the police.

The arrests of mobsters are being made on the basis of forensic analysis of mobile phone and CCTV footage.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry in a recent interview had said the PTI government is committed to taking steps against extremism and finding a permanent solution to violent protests.

He defended an agreement with the religious party to end the countrywide protests.

He said: “We had two options: either to use force, and when you use force people can be killed. That is not something a state should do… We tried negotiations and (in) negotiations you take something and you leave something.”

“We need to take steps against extremism, we need to take steps against such kind of violent protesters and we need to come up with a permanent solution. Right now this is not a cure. This is firefighting, what we are doing. The cure is the real thing and our government is committed to the cure.”