Rawalpindi police arrest Sheikh Rashid in May 9 case

RAWALPINDI: Former interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid has been taken into custody from outside a courtroom after a local court in Rawalpindi rejected his bail in a case related to the May 9 riots, Geo News reported on Tuesday.

A case was registered against Rashid for vandalism at the Metro bus station situated at Sixth Road in Rawalpindi. The former interior minister is being shifted to New Town Police Station.

The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), which rejected his bail, later adjourned the hearing of the riots-related cases till January 25. The former interior minister, however, denies all allegations.

Talking to reporters after his arrest, Rashid said he was not involved in the attacks on state installations. “With God as my witness, I was not present at the spots [where the attacks] took place.”

The politician’s lawyer Abdul Razzaq Khan told reporters that the bail of the senior politico's nephew, Rashid Shafique, was granted in all 13 cases related to the May 9 riots.

“The AML chief, however, has been taken to the police station and will be produced before the ATC tomorrow to decide on his judicial or physical remand.”

He welcomed the ATC judge for granting bail to Rashid in almost all cases. The lawyer added that the politician was not directly involved in the Hamza Camp case.

To a question, he replied that it would be impossible to organise Rashid’s meeting with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan or PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in jail.

He categorically rejected allegations that Rashid incited people to attack military installations or Lal Haveli was centre of all conspiracies.

Meanwhile, the ATC granted bail to the politico and other accused in the General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case. The case had been lodged at the A R Bazaar Police Station against the accused.

In another development today, the court also approved bail of nominated persons including the politico in another case related to the May 9 riots, that erupted across the country after the arrest of the PTI founder.

Citing his cases ahead of the general elections 2024, Rashid told journalists on Tuesday that he would contest polls "from prison" even if he was arrested by police.

Elaborating on his plans, he said that he and his nephew Shafique would participate in forthcoming nationwide polls from jail on the symbol of “inkpot” and “pen”.

He claimed that he would win the electoral contest from two constituencies as people in Rawalpindi would definitely support him due to his public welfare services.

Prior to this development, the senior politician, who emerged as one of the strong allies of incarcerated former premier Khan during his entire tenure, and other accused had secured interim bails in 9 out of 13 cases from the ATC in Rawalpindi.

Violent protests had erupted across the country on May 9 last year in the wake of the ex-premier’s arrest in a corruption case which led to the arrests of thousands of PTI workers and supporters, with several leaders also parting ways with the party over the events.