Khanewal police on Monday booked and imprisoned a fake pir on charges of committing blasphemy.

The man — who had claimed to be the "eleventh caliph of Islam" in a private gathering — was booked under Section 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance at the Thattha Sadiqabad Police Station in District Khanewal.

According to details in the first investigation report (FIR), police had carried out an intelligence-based operation against the accused after a video of him making the controversial claim in a private gathering went viral on social media.

According to the FIR, the accused had claimed in the video that news of his arrival had already given by Sufi saints and that the prime minister and army chief should take swear their allegiance to him.

It is not clear why the man made the claim, or if he suffers from any mental impairment.

According to the police, he has been arrested and sent to the Multan Central Prison.

Opinion

Editorial

Fixing bond markets
01 Oct, 2026

Fixing bond markets

THE plan to deepen the domestic local currency bond market by allowing the public to trade government securities...
Call centre rackets
01 Oct, 2026

Call centre rackets

A NUMBER of recent raids conducted by the authorities in different cities point to the growing threat fraudulent ...
Homeward bound
01 Oct, 2026

Homeward bound

FIVE months after Somali pirates captured an oil tanker carrying a 19-member multinational crew, Somali maritime...
Kashmir unresolved
Updated 30 Sep, 2026

Kashmir unresolved

The just solution lies in India addressing the issue through a trilateral dialogue involving the legitimate representatives of the Kashmiri people and Pakistan.
Water shortage
30 Sep, 2026

Water shortage

THAT the country is entering the Rabi season with an anticipated water shortage of nearly 25pc, the lowest carryover...
Young hearts
30 Sep, 2026

Young hearts

THE observance may have passed, but the message of World Heart Day should not fade with it. The occasion is a useful...