PHC stays arrest of suspected anti-vaxxer

Published October 4, 2019
The Peshawar High Court on Thursday issued a stay order stopping the local police from arresting a man suspected of carrying out a campaign against polio vaccination on social media and sought comments from the home secretary and inspector general of police on the matter within a fortnight.  — APP/File
The Peshawar High Court on Thursday issued a stay order stopping the local police from arresting a man suspected of carrying out a campaign against polio vaccination on social media and sought comments from the home secretary and inspector general of police on the matter within a fortnight. — APP/File

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday issued a stay order stopping the local police from arresting a man suspected of carrying out a campaign against polio vaccination on social media and sought comments from the home secretary and inspector general of police on the matter within a fortnight.

A bench consisting of Justice Roohul Amin Khan Chamkani and Justice Mohammad Naeem Anwar issued notices to the home secretary, IGP and Mathra police station’s head on a petition of suspect Azmat Khan seeking the cancellation of an FIR against him.

Azmat has been charged with waging war against the state and inciting people to riot.

Danyal Asad Chamkani, lawyer for the petitioner, said an FIR was registered against his client at Mathra police station on Aug 27.

He said the police had alleged that the petitioner propagated against anti-polio vaccine through his social media accounts by declaring the children’s vaccination against the injunctions of Islam.

The lawyer said the police had falsely accused his client of trying to incite people against the state through his social media posts.

The lawyer said that under the Code of Criminal Procedure, the police couldn’t register an FIR for those offences without the government’s prior permission.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Smog hazard
Updated 05 Nov, 2024

Smog hazard

The catastrophe unfolding in Lahore is a product of authorities’ repeated failure to recognise environmental impact of rapid urbanisation.
Monetary policy
05 Nov, 2024

Monetary policy

IN an aggressive move, the State Bank on Monday reduced its key policy rate by a hefty 250bps to 15pc. This is the...
Cultural power
05 Nov, 2024

Cultural power

AS vital modes of communication, art and culture have the power to overcome social and international barriers....
Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.