Muslim Cleric From Pakistan Arrested For Threatening Malala Yousafzai

Mufti Sardar Ali Haqqani, a Pakistani cleric from the Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was arrested on Wednesday. He has now been held under the anti-terrorism act, for threatening Malala Yousafzai, after she opened up on her views on marriage.

According to a report from Dawn, Haqqani's house was raided by the police, and an FIR under the 'Anti-Terrorism Act' was registered against him. This was done on the basis of SHO Wasim Sajjad's complaint.

The FIR says that a video of Haqqani instigating people at a gathering in Peshawar went viral on social media. He was influencing them into attacking Yousafzai. Besides that, he was also armed, while addressing the gathering.

"When Malala comes to Pakistan, I will be the first to attempt a suicide attack on her," the FIR quoted him as saying.

The complaint also said that the man's speech incited lawlessness, and disrupted the peace.

Malala's views on marriage condemned by politicians

Recently, Malala Yousafzai had an interview with Vogue magazine, in which she openly expressed her views on marriage. She said that she wasn't very sure about getting married in the future.

"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 the magazine.

Her interview was heavily criticised by many including Pakistani politicians. Sahibzada Sanaullah, the Opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawmaker urged the government to investigate whether Yousafzai really made those remarks. He then said that life partnership is not allowed in any religion and that it would be condemnable if she favours it.

Meanwhile, the PPP and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, an alliance of religious-political parties pressed her family to issue a clarification on the issue.