Mufti Kifayatullah, a senior and vocal leader of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam–Fazl (JUI-F) was arrested from Islamabad on Sunday for issuing “inflammatory statements against the national institutions”. According to sources GVS spoke to in Islamabad, Mufti Kifayatullah was arrested by the law enforcement agencies after he was issuing ‘reckless political statements’ which may have posed a threat to public order. The allegation has been rejected by the JUI-F leadership, they have termed the arrest as ‘political victimization’.
Mufti Kifayatullah of #JUIF arrested.
He was the one spitting venom against every institution of Pakistan. He was the one who was using media platform to create a divide.
Pakistan needs AALIM. AALIM who can guide the nation truly towards Islam.
Not these political MULLAHS.
— Mir Mohammad Alikhan (@MirMAKOfficial) October 27, 2019
It is important to note that the news of Mufti Kifayatullah being taken into custody at 4 am on Saturday night was confirmed by JUI-F Deputy Secretary Information Aslam Ghouri, who said the senior politician was whisked away from his friend’s apartment in E-11 sector.
Defiance against the #Selectors results in incarceration. #MuftiKifayatullah pic.twitter.com/CqA2BVMWDK
— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) October 27, 2019
According to details, the JUI-F leader, who was arrested by a team of the Mansehra police, will remain in custody for 30 days under Section 3 (power to arrest and detain suspected persons) of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and shifted to Haripur jail.
Moreover, it deserves merit to be mentioned here that he is the third leader to have been detained from the federal capital in the past few days ahead of Azadi March. Earlier on Monday, police arrested Maulana Shafiq-ur-Rehman and Maulana Muhammad Irshad from Shams Colony and seized banners for the JUI-F sit-in from their possession.
JUI-F’s chief who could not manage to retain his own seat in the National Assembly is repeatedly terming the present government as selected and backed by the establishment
Police argued that the duo was urging people to participate in the Azadi March being organised by JUI-F against the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government by “inciting them against national institutions besides chanda collection and holding corner meetings”.
Kifayatullah has been allegedly booked on the same charges. “The activities of Mufti Kifayatullah are posing [a] grave threat to public safety which may create a disturbance of public tranquillity, danger to human life, health and safety,” said an order issued by the office of the Mansehra deputy commissioner (DC).
“Due to this act, serious sectarian disharmony is prevailing in the district. The situation is snowballing into serious law and order situation […],” the order stated while adding that the Mansehra (district police officer) DPO had requested for Kifayathullah’s arrest warrants to be issued.
He has been arrested for 30 days which means he will not be able to attend the Azadi March being led by the JUI-F’s chief who is heading towards Islamabad to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan. “The said person may be detained and confined in Central Jail, Haripur for a period of 30 days from the date of arrest,” the order added.
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Some analysts believe that Mufti Kifayatullah has been arrested for his vocal and upright position against some ‘retired army officers’ who appeared with him on national TV in a live talk-show. Mualana has said to have insulted them which result in his surprise arrest.
مجھےحب الوطنی کاسرٹیفیکیٹ کسی جنرل سےنہیں لیناان سےذیادہ محب وطن اسلئےہوں میں تنخواہ نہیں لیتاوطن کی محبت کی بات کرتاہوں۔
جنرل صاحب کےحوالے سےلوگوں کوبتاناچاہتاہوں
پتا پتا بوٹا بوٹاحال ہماراجانےہے
جانےنہ جانےگل ہی نہ جانےباغ توساراجانےہے،
کفایت اللہ
کفایت اللہ صاحب چھائےہوئےہیں👍 pic.twitter.com/lGYj27it01— Syeda Shehla Shah (@syedams1) October 25, 2019
However, sources informed GVS that Mufti Kifayatullah has been accusing the agencies and armed forces of political engineering and social polarization in talk-shows. He reportedly held the army responsible for everything bad in the country.
میں نےآج تک پاک فوج کو سلام نہیں کہا میں ہمیشہ کہتا ہوں فوج میں جو پاک ہے اس کو سلام بارڈر پرجوفوجی لڑتاہےوہ قابل احترام ہےلیکن جوفوجی سیاسی ناپ تول کرتاہے وہ توہمارے لئےقابل احترام نہیں وہ تو قومی مجرم ہے۔
مفتی کفایت اللہ صاب اللہ اپ کی حفاظت فرمائے😐 pic.twitter.com/mUi6m63PBD— TheHunter (@1Lonely_999) October 25, 2019
JUI-F along with other opposition parties, PPP, PML-N and ANP, is heading towards Islamabad to hold an anti-government protest to topple the government. PTI has responded by saying that JUI-F’s chief who could not manage to retain his own seat in the National Assembly is repeatedly terming the present government as selected and backed by the establishment. The government has allowed the protesters to hold a sit-in in the federal capital as per law and constitution of Pakistan.
Read more: JUI-F’s Azadi March Will Not Sustain More Than a Week: Imran Khan
Therefore, it is believed that there is no question of political victimization since the government is not stopping the opposition from holding a protest.