Police on Wednesday arrested a cleric in Pakistan’s northern city of Nowshera for using derogatory language against female doctors and nurses in a viral video.
District Police Officer Dr. Muhammad Iqbal took notice of the video which went viral on social media where a cleric used derogatory remarks against female doctors and nurses. His comments had offended the female doctors and enraged the civil society who demanded an action taken against him.
A Cleric named Mufti Sardar Ali Haqqani, son of Abdul Hameed was arrested and a case was registered against him. His pictures behind bars circulated on social media. SHO Waqas Rafique confirmed his arrest.
A religious leader Mufti Sardar Ali Haqqani was arrested by @NSRPolice 4 #HateSpeech against govt officials. He used abusive and hateful language for lady doctors and female health workers. He appologized for his words after his software was updated by police. #Ramadan #Islam pic.twitter.com/riFbPpmoFJ
— Tribal News Network (@TNNEnglish) April 28, 2021
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Police asserted that no one will be allowed to create disharmony and chaos in society. Similar charges have been leveled against him in the past. Police added that no one will be allowed to demean the government officers and make provocative speeches. Social media users appreciated the prompt response of police against the cleric.
Nowshehra police has arrested Mufti Sardar Ali Haqqani bec of violating Covid SOPs & also using abusive/derogatory language against nurses & doctors.
I pay huge tribute to DPO @Dociqbal & Nowshehra Police.@NSRPolice pic.twitter.com/jYwjCwSFvQ— Ihtesham Afghan (@IhteshamAfghan) April 28, 2021
Tweets poured in on Twitter as social media users condemned the cleric for hate speech and attempting to create discord in the society.
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However, this is not the first time, clerics in Pakistan have been in the news for the wrong reasons. Mufti Qavi, a controversial cleric remains in news often for all the wrong reasons. A few months ago, Mufti Qavi landed in trouble once again after a video of him allegedly dancing with what seems to be a young woman. “This video of me dancing with the Korean woman is fake,” he told The News correspondent Nadeem Shah.
Good to see him behind the bars. Such ignorant nerds deserve such punishment or even worse. I have seen several short videos of him but the one in which he mentions female doctors and nurses is outrageous and totally reprehensible. pic.twitter.com/UFQisaMUFO
— Dr. Adnan Bacha (@DrCommunity412) April 28, 2021
He claimed that a ‘lobby’ has been active against him ever since he issued “strong statements against Indian premier Narendra Modi for subjecting Kashmiris to inhuman torture and killing innocent people in the [Indian occupied] Kashmir valley.”
He said the group had edited and produced a fake video “for the sole objective of widely defaming Pakistan and the religion of Islam”.