Sheikh Rashid arrest: Court grants two-day physical remand on police plea

An Islamabad judicial magistrate on Thursday approved two-day physical remand of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the chief of Awami Muslim League (AML) and an ally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on the Islamabad police plea.

Rashid was arrested by the Islamabad police during the wee hours of Thursday from his residence in Rawalpindi.

On Thursday afternoon, Judicial Magistrate Umar Shabbir heard the case.

The investigation officer (IO) submitted the case record as the police requested Rashid’s eight-day physical remand.

However, the judge approved two-day physical remand of Sheikh Rashid.

Rashid was charged with leveling false allegations that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-Chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari was plotting to assassinate PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

The case was registered under non-bailable provisions.

Before the court hearing, Islamabad police took him to Polyclinic Hospital where he underwent a medical exam.

The case was filed against Sheikh Rashid by PPP Rawalpindi Division’s President Raja Inayat ur Rehman at Islamabad’s Aabpara Police Station for leveling baseless allegations against the former president.

In the FIR, the PPP divisional president stated that the AML chief tried to badmouth a former president and cause a “permanent danger” to the PPP co-chairman and his family.

According to Rashid’s nephew, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, an overwhelming number of police personnel broke into Sheikh Rashid’s house and used force on the domestic workers.

Later, AML chief was also seen being taken in a police vehicle, during which he warned Rawalpindi police and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah of legal action.

The arrest of Sheikh Rashid has created a stir in political circles and is being seen as a significant development in the ongoing tensions between the political parties.

Imran Khan condemns Sheikh Rashid’s arrest

Imran Khan took to Twitter and strongly condemned the arrest of his all-weather tested ally.

He wrote, “Never in our history have we had such a biased, vindictive caretaker government appt by totally discredited ECP. The question is, can Pakistan afford a street movement that we are being pushed towards at a time when we have been bankrupted by Imported Govt?