The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) will move forward with proceedings against former president Dr Arif Alvi only after receiving the opinion of the Ulema Board on alleged blasphemous remarks in a video circulated on social media.
In a hearing at a Lahore district court, Additional District and Sessions Judge Shafqat Shahbaz Raja disposed of a petition filed by Shehzada Adnan through advocate Mudassir Chaudhry, which sought the registration of an FIR against Dr Alvi. The petitioner alleged that the former president had used blasphemous language in a widely shared video clip.
The FIA informed the court that a formal inquiry had been initiated and assigned to Abdul Basit, a sub-inspector at the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The petitioner had joined the inquiry and submitted evidence to support his complaint.
According to the FIA, the video in question has been forwarded to the Ulema Board for a religious ruling (fatwa). The agency stated that the inquiry would be finalised on merit after the board’s response, and further action would be taken if a cognisable offence was established.
However, the petitioner’s counsel opposed this stance, arguing that a fatwa from the Ulema Board was irrelevant to FIR registration and that parts of the video were inaudible.
The judge ruled that the FIA must complete its investigation after receiving the board’s opinion and proceed according to the law if the allegations constitute an offence.
This was not the first attempt by the petitioner; an earlier court had dismissed the case because it was filed at an inappropriate forum. That court directed the petitioner to approach the NCCIA, the designated body for handling social media-related matters.
