Khadim Hussain Rizvi fails to appear before ECP in TLP funding case

ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday ordered the district election commissioner of Lahore to personally deliver a second notice to Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the chief of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), in a case regarding his party's registration and funding.

A five-member commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Justice (r) Sardar Muhammad Raza, heard the case today.

Yesterday, the ECP had summoned the firebrand cleric to appear before the commission. But Rizvi, who was taken under "protective custody" last week, or his counsel did not appear before the commission.

At this, the ECP issued another notice to the TLP chief and instructed the district election commissioner to ensure that the orders are obliged to. The ECP adjourned the case till December 5.

On Nov.22, the Supreme Court reserved its verdict in a suo moto case against the TLP sit-in at the capital city’s Faizabad Interchange last year.

TLP protests: Pakistan’s top court reserves ... 09:33 PM | 22 Nov, 2018

ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict in a suo moto case against the sit-in staged by the ...

In November 2017, the apex court had taken a suo motu notice of the three-week long sit-in, which was held against a minor yet grave change in the finality-of-Prophethood oath for the amended Elections Act 2017 – later termed by the then-PML-N government as a clerical error.

The case refers to TLP’s violent protests in 2017, its party registration, political legitimacy and the role of state institutions in the face of violence and threats by the religio-political party and in the aftermath of the demonstrations.

The protests and sit-in at Faizabad Interchange by TLP workers lasted for three weeks until an agreement was reached with the government on November 27, 2017. The 21-day-long sit-in, which had virtually paralysed the federal capital, was called off after protesters reached an agreement with the government according to which then Law Minister Zahid Hamid also tendered resignation.

About 200 people were injured when security forces tried to disperse an Islamist sit-in at the Faizabad Interchange – a key highway. Several deaths were also reported.

About 8,500 elite police and paramilitary forces took part in the operation to clear the Faizabad Interchange. The crackdown was later suspended.