ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani took suo motu notice of the Pakistani Taliban’s threat to Ismailis and the Kalash tribe in the picturesque Chitral Valley in northern Pakistan on Thursday, DawnNews reported.
In a 50-minute long video released on Feb 2 on the TTP media wing's website, the Pakistani Taliban had announced an “armed struggle” against the Kalash and Ismaili Muslims. The narrator warned the Kalash, who are thought to number only 3,500, to convert to Islam or face death.
The Supreme Court moreover issued notices to Attorney General Pakistan and Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Following a media report regarding the Taliban’s threat to Ismailis and the Kalash tribe, the Chief Justice took suo motu notice of the threat today.
The apex court said the hearing of the suo motu notice would be held along with the Peshawar church attack case.
The Chief Justice remarked that Ismailis had received threats from the Taliban as per the news report. The Taliban had threatened them to convert to Islam or face death which, he said, was against Articles 9, 20 and 36 of the Constitution.
He moreover added that Islam was a religion that preached peace and tolerance.
The Chief Justice asked the Attorney General as to what measures the government and other security agencies were taking for the protection of these communities after the threats were issued.
The court also directed AG KP to collect the report from District Police and Commissioner Chitral and submit in the court on Feb 24.