In a recent development, Pakistan's police have taken into custody the deputy chief of a radical Islamist party on charges related to a threat against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The arrest of Zaheerul Hassan Shah came following the circulation of a video on social media where he allegedly offered a reward for the beheading of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Esa.
Chief Justice Esa had faced criticism from extremist groups in Pakistan after granting bail to a blasphemy suspect associated with the Ahmadi community. Ahmadis have long been a persecuted minority in Pakistan, with the Parliament officially declaring them as non-Muslims in 1974.
The arrest of Shah took place in Okara, a city in the eastern Punjab province, as confirmed by senior police officer Zaheer Asghar. Shah has been charged with making threats against the Chief Justice and inciting violence.
The Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan party, to which Shah belongs, has a history of organizing violent protests against any proposed amendments to Pakistan's stringent blasphemy laws, which carry severe penalties including the death sentence.
International concern over the treatment of the Ahmadi community in Pakistan has been growing, with a recent report by a U.N.-backed panel highlighting increased discrimination and violence against Ahmadis. The experts have called on Pakistani authorities to take measures to safeguard the rights and safety of the minority group.
