Islamabad: Clerics thrash journalists for drinking water in fasting hours
The clerics and students at the mosque pelted stones at the DSNG van
(Web Desk) – Clerics at Haqqania Mosque situated near Faisal Mosque in Faisal Avenue were booked by the police for assaulting journalists for drinking water during fasting hours on Tuesday.
Reportedly, journalists with a private television channel were covering an event in F-8 when one of the camera crew went to the mosque to offer Zuhr. The cameraman was quoted by Express Tribune saying that a cleric approached him and inquired why he had drunk water whilst ablution.
Haqqania Masjid Islamabad mullahs thrashing reporters for drinking water in Ramazan. Reporters were actually filming power theft at mosque pic.twitter.com/E37sM5zW5j
— Bilal Farooqi (@bilalfqi) June 21, 2017
A heated argument ensued at the scene with clerics assaulting the cameraman among the crew who by then had reached the mosque.
Reportedly, the clerics and students at the mosque pelted stones at the DSNG van.
The crew took refuge at Margalla Police Station and a complaint was lodged following which the clerics were held.
“They were not observing fast and I tried to stop them,” Express Tribune quoted the head cleric Israrullah telling the Margalla police. “Their driver started arguing with me,” he said.
It should be noted here that Ehtram-e-Ramazan (Amendment) bill that was enacted ahead of the holy month this year to protect its sanctity calls for three-month imprisonment and Rs 500 fine in a case, such as this, of eating, drinking and smoking in public.
Sections of the society called for the government to repeal the law branding it regressive whereas Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) and the ministry have completely backed the bill.
Know what Javed Ahmad Ghamidi said about the bill
