qadri-march-afp-670
Tahirul Qadri gestures upon his arrival at a protest march in Islamabad on early Jan 15, 2013. — Photo by AFP

ISLAMABAD: Chief of the Tehrik-i-Minhajul Quran (TMQ), Dr Tahirul Qadri, has decided to challenge in a Canadian court his summoning to that country on Feb 5 by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to explain as to why he had violated the oath he took when seeking asylum there, DawnNews reported.

However, Qadri's counsel, Mendel Green, had refused to represent the TMQ chief in this case.

Green had assisted Qadri in his asylum application to Canada which was accepted in 2009.

The RCMP has reportedly said that Qadri had violated his oath which did not allow him to enter the country he had sought asylum from.

Separately, a spokesman for the TMQ has declared news reports over Qadri's summoning as baseless.

After holding a long march and a sit-in in Islamabad, Qadri had reached a deal with Pakistan's ruling coalition on Thursday that would give his party some say over the formation of a caretaker government ahead of elections this spring. Qadri's party may also participate in the elections.

The cleric's reappearance on Pakistan's political stage a few weeks ago after years of living in Canada, and his calls for the military to play a role in forming an interim administration, has raised speculation he may be backed by the country's powerful army. Qadri and the military deny this.

Opinion

Editorial

PTI in disarray
Updated 30 Nov, 2024

PTI in disarray

PTI’s protest plans came abruptly undone because key decisions were swayed by personal ambitions rather than political wisdom and restraint.
Tired tactics
30 Nov, 2024

Tired tactics

Matiullah's arrest appears to be a case of the state’s overzealous and misplaced application of the law.
Smog struggle
30 Nov, 2024

Smog struggle

AS smog continues to shroud parts of Pakistan, an Ipsos survey highlights the scope of this environmental hazard....
Solidarity with Palestine
Updated 29 Nov, 2024

Solidarity with Palestine

The wretched of the earth see in the Palestinian struggle against Israel a mirror of themselves.
Little relief for public
29 Nov, 2024

Little relief for public

INFLATION, the rate of increase in the prices of goods and services over a given period of time, has receded...
Right to education
29 Nov, 2024

Right to education

IT is troubling to learn that over 16,500 students of the University of Karachi (KU) have defaulted on fee payments...