Police produce Sheikh Rashid in Islamabad court for physical remand

Police produce Sheikh Rashid in Islamabad court for physical remand

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The capital police on Thursday produced Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed before a court to get his physical remand in a case related to allegation against former president Asif Ali Zardari.

The former interior minister has been produced before Judicial Magistrate Umar Shabbir where police submitted record of the case and sought eight-day physical remand of the former interior minister.

Before his court appearance, the AML chief was taken to the Poly Clinic Hospital for medical examination. In an informal talk with media, Mr Ahmed said his watches and cash had been confiscated by the security officials. He vowed to continue his struggle against the "imported government," adding that political landscape would be different after Feb 15. He said the days of Shehbaz Sharif government were numbered.

Mr Ahmed was arrested by Islamabad police in the early hours of Thursday from his home in a private housing society in the capital city. 

A case was registered against Mr Ahmed on a complaint lodged by the vice president of PPP's Rawalpindi chapter at the Aabpara police station. The complainant said the AML chief, in a talk show, accused the PPP co-chairman of having hatched a plan to use terrorists to assassinate PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

Earlier, the PTI chief had alleged that Mr Zardari had hatched a plot to get him killed, adding that a militant group had been hired for this purpose.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has been booked, according to the FIR, under sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code. His arrest comes after he defied a police notice to appear before the investigation team in the case by 4pm on Wednesday. However, the AML chief has challenged the notice in the Islamabad High Court.

He told the media after his arrest that he would stand by Imran Khan and said truth would prevail. He claimed that hundreds of police officials barged into his house in the wee hours of Thursday without any warrant and arrested him. He said police arrested him despite the fact that a court granted him bail and ordered the inspector-general of police to appear before the court on Feb 6.

Meanwhile, the PTI chief condemned the arrest of his close ally. Taking to Twitter, he wrote: "Strongly condemn arrest of Sh Rasheed. Never in our history have we had such a biased, vindictive Caretaker govt appt by totally discredited ECP," he said.

Strongly condemn arrest of Sh Rasheed.Never in our history have we had such a biased, vindictive Caretaker govt appt by totally discredited ECP. Question is can Pak afford a street movement which we are being pushed towards at a time when we have been bankrupted by Imported Govt?

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 1, 2023

Imran Khan in is tweet also said: "Question is can Pak afford a street movement which we are being pushed towards at a time when we have been bankrupted by Imported Govt?"