Lahore: Pakistani police on Sunday registered three new FIRs against anti-government cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri under murder and terrorism charges and arrested 2,000 of his supporters from different parts of Punjab province.
The total number of FIRs against the Canada-based cleric has reached to eight.
The latest FIRs have been registered after three policemen were killed in clashes with his supporters in different parts of the Punjab province.
"Police have registered a murder case against Qadri and his supporters in Lahore's Naseerabad police station for killing a police constable. The other two cases have been registered against him and his supporters under terrorism and
attempted murder charges in Mianwali and Gujranwala districts of Punjab," Lahore police spokesman Niyab Haider said.
He said the other cases had been registered against Qadri under seven different Anti-Terrorism Acts of Pakistan Penal Code. About arresting Qadri, Haider: "The government will decide when to arrest him".
According to Punjab police statistics released to media, some 2,000 activists of Qadri's party - Pakistan Awami Tahreek (PAT) - have been arrested since the start of clashes on last Friday. The PAT contradicted the police statistics
saying the arrested number of its workers has gone up to 20,000.
"There has been a law of jungle in Pakistan. Police are not registering our FIR against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and police officials involved in the killing of our 14 party workers on June 17
during a police raid at Qadri sahib's residence in Model Town, but they are quick to register murder and terrorism case against him," PAT spokesman Qazi Faiz said.
He said the constable was killed in road accident and the police registered a murder case against Dr Qadri for his death. "This is outrageous".
"Neither Qadri sahib nor his supporters are afraid of any fake FIRs against them," Faiz said adding the 'Qadri Squad' would foil any attempt of the government to arrest its leader.
The death toll of clashes between PAT workers and security forces rose to 10 and leaving over 1,500 injured in different parts of Punjab province ahead of the anti-Nawaz government march of the Canada-based Pakistani cleric.
Dr Qadri has claimed that its eight workers including a woman died in the clashes with police since Friday. The Shahbaz government says two policemen and one supporter of Qadri were killed in the clashes across Punjab.
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