Govt mulls recourse to law against Qadri

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri prepares to roar into the capital in an effort to unseat the ruling party, the government is collecting evidence which may help prove that the self-proclaimed religious scholar is misusing his organisation, the Idara Minhajul Quran (IMQ). A source privy to the investigation into Dr Qadri’s activities told Dawn that top government functionaries were recently briefed on the political activities of Dr Qadri’s organisation. The Powerpoint presentation, a copy of which is available with Dawn, reveals that IMQ was registered, under the Societies Registration Act of 1860, in 1982 with Dr Qadri as its founding member and chairman. Initially, the IMQ’s purpose was restricted to the promotion of teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), which was later amended in 2006 and now, the institution can establish, manage and run educational institutes, healthcare facilities and orphanages. Top figures briefed about alleged irregularities in Idara Minhajul Quran However, the presentation points out that the IMQ had been manipulating beneficiaries for political gains, which was a clear violation of its declared objectives. Other violations committed by the IMQ include a failure to submit annual income and expenditure statements, which were only provided in 2007, 2008, and 2009. The minutes of the IMQ annual general body meeting are also required to be provided to the government under the Societies Act. However, the IMQ submitted nine years’ records in 2003 and the three years’ records in 2009. Each document has been replicated and signed by the same person. The briefing made special reference to the ‘dictatorial powers’ of Dr Qadri, who is not only the IMQ’s patron-in-chief, but will also remain its chairman for life, oversee internal elections at all levels, be the decision-making authority on all matters, including appeals, selection of a successor, the appointment of new directors, the discharging of existing members of the governing body and the approval of all decisions and resolutions of the governing body. The quorum for the IMQ governing body meetings is set at three, but seven of the members are from Dr Qadri’s immediate family and include, among others, two sons, two daughters, the wife and a daughter-in-law. Irregularities have also been found in the working of the Minhaj Welfare Foundation (MWF), a sister organisation of the IMQ, which was registered under the same act. The official told Dawn the government was focusing on financial transactions that involved the transfer of large amounts of funds to both, the IMQ and the MWF, over the past year or so. The transactions, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, originated in Canada – the country where Dr Qadri currently resides – and the United Kingdom. “Of course, government investigators will be looking into the sources of this funding and then how it was utilised in Pakistan, for which the necessary paper work has already been initiated,” he said. On the legal front, the meeting also discussed that Section 124-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which deals with sedition charges, could be invoked to book Dr Qadri. The section states: “Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the federal or provincial government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which a fine may be added, or with imprisonment, which may extend to three years, to which a fine may be added, or with fine.” Top officials are also said to be considering using Article 6 of the Constitution, following Dr Qadri’s call for the military to take over Islamabad airport on his arrival. He had earlier stated that he couldn’t trust Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and other senior government members, and warned that in case any harm befell him, the Sharif brothers should be held responsible. Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2014