A Pakistani Minister who was called a “Qadiani” by a fellow politician has filed a Police case saying his life is in danger.
During media appearances on May 19th and May 26th Nazir Chohan had claimed that Minister Shazad Akbar belonged to the “Qadiani group” and was not a Muslim. Reacting to the claims, Akbar, who serves as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior and Accountability, lodged a Police complaint against Chohan on Sunday.
In the police report, Akbar claimed that slandering a Muslim person for blasphemy is a crime under the Pakistan Penal Code.
“There is all likelihood that these unfounded, false, and vexatious allegations will provoke religious hatred against the applicant and put his life in danger,” the FIR states.
Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said that using the “religion card” for a “personnel vendetta” is a “despicable” move by Chohan.
Qadiani is a derogatory used by Pakistanis to describe the followers of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam. The Ahmadis were declared non-Muslims by a parliamentary declaration in 1974. Followers of the faith face severe persecution both by the state and extremist groups.