The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has sentenced Zahair-ul-Haq Hassan Shah, the deputy chief of the proscribed Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), to 35 years in prison for inciting the public against the then Chief Justice of Pakistan.
According to the court, during a gathering held outside the Lahore Press Club, at which TLP chief Saad Rizvi was also present, Zahair-ul-Haq Hassan Shah delivered speeches that amounted to incitement to violence against the then Chief Justice, Qazi Faez Isa.
The Qila Gujjar Singh police registered a case against the cleric in 2024 in connection with a speech that allegedly incited violence against the Chief Justice in the context of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Mubarak Sani case.
The FIR, lodged on the complaint of Station House Officer Hamad Hussain, was registered under Sections 6 (terrorism), 7 (punishment for terrorism), and 11-W (printing, publishing, or disseminating hateful material or promoting a person convicted of a terrorism-related offence or a proscribed/under-watch organization) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.
Judge Arshad Javed convicted the accused, pronounced the sentence, and handed him over to the superintendent of Central Jail Kot Lakhpat.
During the trial, the prosecution produced 15 witnesses in support of the charges. Deputy Prosecutor Abdul Jabbar Dogar requested punishment in accordance with the law.
On behalf of the accused, Advocate Rana Maqsood-ul-Haq presented final arguments and requested the court to acquit his client; however, the defense did not fully deny the allegations.
The court awarded 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under Section 7(1)(b) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, and five years’ imprisonment each under Sections 7(g), 21(L), and 11-W.
In addition, separate sentences were awarded under Sections 505, 117, and 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code, seven years, three years, and six months of imprisonment, respectively.
A total fine of Rs. 600,000 was also imposed on the party leader.
Following the call for violence against Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, multiple cases were registered against TLP leaders and workers in various cities.
The incident also drew strong condemnation from political circles and religious scholars.
