ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Noorul Haq Qureshi has dismissed a petition filed against an order by the district administration that has barred a Shia cleric from entering the capital.

The court held that the petition was not maintainable.

Filed by the chairman of the Markazi Asna Ashri Trust Imambargah, the petition asked the court to set aside the district administration order to the extent of Hafiz Tassadaq Hussain, a Shia scholar, and allow him to enter the city.

On Sept 26, the capital administration banned the entry of 16 clerics from various sects into Islamabad`s limits for two months.

The measure was taken based on recommendations from the police`s Special Branch, to maintain peace in the city during Muharram.

The Special Branch is the police`s intelligence wing, and monitors the activities of religious and political individuals.

Those banned from addressing crowds include Hafiz Mohammad Saddique, Allama Tahir Ashraf, Mohammad Illyas Ghuman, Mohammad Muaviah Azam, Abdul Khalig Rehmani, Dr Khadim Hussain Dhaloo, Aurangzeb Faroogi, Mohammad Yousaf Rizvi, Pir Irfan Al-Mashahdi, Khadim Hussain Rizvi, Asif Ashraf, Allama Ghazanfar Tunsavi, Allama Jaffar Jatoi, Zalcir Syed Maqbool Hussain, Hafiz Tassadag Hussain and Mohammad Iqbal.

The clerics belong to the Deobandi, Barelvi and Shia schools of thought. Following arguments and after going through the record, the court dismissed the petition.Staff Reporter