Pak cleric threatens to kill Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai, arrested

Islamab, Jun 10 (PTI) A Muslim cleric in northwest Pakistan has been arrested under tough anti-terrorism act for threatening to kill Malala Yousafzai in a suicide attack and instigating people against Nobel Laureate for her recent comments on marriage, police said.

Mufti Sardar Ali Haqqani, a cleric, was arrested in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday, quoting Lakki Marwat District Police Office.

In an interview to Vogue magazine in its latest edition, 23-year-old Malala, an Oxford gruate and a Pakistani activist for girls education who miraculously survived a bullet to he from militant Taliban in October 2012, revealed that she is not sure if she will ever marry.

“I still don't understand why people have to get married. If you want to have a person in your life, why do you have to sign marriage papers, why can’t it just be a partnership?” she told magazine.

cleric belongs to Nowshera area of province but was visiting Pizo in Lakki Marwat when nabbed by police. He h apparently escaped from re to avoid arrest.

Haqqani was charged for under section of 16 Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) act and section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act.

Station House Officer Wasim Sajj Khan is complainant in case, report said.

Sajj told media that Lakki Marwat police went into action after it was tipped about presence of cleric in district.

According to FIR, a video went viral on social media showing Mufti Sardar instigating people at a garing in Wahid Ghari area of Peshawar to take law into ir own hands and attack Malala. He was armed when incident took place, report said.

"When Malala comes to Pakistan, I will be first to attempt a suicide attack on her," according to FIR registered at Pizo police station in Lakki Marwat.

video of speech inciting violence went viral on social media with many people urging government to take action against him.

complaint furr said that cleric's speech h threatened peace and incited lawlessness, according to news report.

Malala's remarks caused a storm in conservative Pakistan and her home in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province where women are seldom seen in public without a Muslim veil or a male guardian.

Recently, her views on marriage also echoed in provincial assembly with Opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker Sahibza Sanaullah demanding government to probe wher she really me those remarks on marriage remarks as life partnership was not allowed in any religion and if she favoured it, n stand was condemnable.

PPP and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, an alliance of religious-political parties, also urged her family to clarify ir position on issue, report said.

In February, a Pakistani Taliban militant, who h allegedly shot Yousafzai, h threatened her, saying that next time, "re would be no mistake." Haqqani me helines last year when he mocked COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SoPs) in anor video which resulted in his arrest by Nowshera police. He was released later. PTI RS/SH AKJ RS