Lahore police have booked Jamiat Ulema-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Mufti Azizur Rehman for allegedly sexually assaulting one of his students after a video of the assault went viral on social media, prompting strong backlash from social media users.
The case was registered at the North Cantt police station under Section 377 and Section 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Section 377 pertains to “unnatural offences” while Section 506 pertains to “punishment for criminal intimidation”.
According to the FIR, the rape survivor got admission to the Jamia Manzoorul Islamia in 2013.
During an exam, the cleric accused him and another boy of cheating and barred him from taking the Wafaqul Madaris exams for three years, the boy said in the FIR. He added that the cleric asked him for sexual favours in return for the removal of the ban. According to the student, he had no choice but to be subjected to the sexual assault that happened every Friday for at least three years.
The student in the FIR said that Mufti Aziz didn’t fulfill his promise and started to blackmail him. The administration of the seminary also rebuffed him when he approached them with the complaint of Mufti Aziz, the student said, adding that he was accused of slandering the cleric instead.
“I recorded the abuse and showed it to Wafaqul Madaris al Arabia nazim,” the complainant said, adding that he was threatened by Mufti Aziz with dire consequences. Due to the video, Mufti Aziz was fired from the seminary, the FIR said. He added that he was now being threatened by Mufti Aziz and his sons and asked for action to be taken against them.
The disturbing video, which surfaced a couple of days ago, stirred up a storm on social media as citizens called for action to be taken against the JUI-F leader.
Meanwhile, Mufti Aziz— in a video message circulating on social media — said he was innocent. According to the cleric, the boy in the video had drugged him due to which he was not in his senses.
Mufti Aziz was removed on June 3 by the seminary administration.
The cleric has often been seen in photos and videos of anti-blasphemy rallies held in recent months to denounce publication of cartoons in France.
Over 2.2 million children attend religious seminaries in Pakistan. Sexual abuse cases are often hushed up, although some parents have recently been coming forward to file complaints, reports Reuters.
A nongovernment organisation called Sahil that works to stop child abuse reported 2,960 cases of child sex abuse in 2020 throughout the country, not just in seminaries.
