Qazi faces sedition charges

The chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Qazi Hussain Ahmed, has become the first major politician to face charges of sedition.

A case against him has been registered in Mardan for delivering a speech in the NWFP city last week, which is being interpreted as being "seditious in nature."

It may be noted Qazi himself remains under house arrest at Peshawar.

In the speech, delivered to a sizeable crowd, Qazi had accused General Pervez Musharraf of "spilling the blood of Afghans in order to acquire U.S. dollars."

He had also urged the "bold men" and commanders of the Pakistan army to sack Musharraf. The remarks are being seen as seditious and have led to Qazi being booked under several laws dealing with sedition. The crime carries a maximum penalty of death.

The Musharraf administration had stated barely a week ago that it intended to ensure no one was allowed to make seditious comments or publish such material.

Any statement or remarks inciting the military to revolt was identified as being a form of sedition that would be looked out for in particular.

The booking of Qazi on the grounds of sedition is likely to send out a strong message, serving perhaps one of the most fundamental purposes of the government.

The fact that various members of the clergy have increasingly been asking officers of the Pakistan army to ensure 'justice' for the Afghan people has been looked on with alarm in official circles.

The move also indicates that the government is now no longer looking to mend fences with the JI, but is willing to take on the party and its leaders.

A JI spokesman in Lahore described the case brought against Qazi as "just completely unjustified" and "amounting to persecution." Another JI source also said that "this is an attempt to intimidate us, but it will not work."

Certainly, the actions against Qazi have introduced new fire within the JI, which has also announced that its protest campaign will continue regardless of Qazi's arrest.

The JI has called for a strike in Lahore on November 9. The Punjab government has already said it will make "every effort" to prevent this from going ahead, and the situation is likely to lead to a further confrontation between the JI and the administration.