Sheikh Rashid gets interim bail

RAWALPINDI: The Anti-Terrorism Court on Monday approved interim bail of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in a case concerning May 9.

The court granted the interim bail against surety bonds worth Rs50,000. The ATC directed the Waris Khan police not to arrest Rashid for at least one week. During the proceedings, the judge commented on Rashid’s health, noting a significant weight loss.

Rashid told the court that he lost 31kg during a 40-day Tableeghi mission. He was allegedly picked up from a private housing society in Islamabad on September 17, with his family and lawyer claiming an unlawful arrest. His whereabouts remained undisclosed, and the police denied any involvement in his reported arrest. He reappeared over a month later, maintaining that he had been on a 40-day preaching mission (Tableeghi Chilla) where he faced no harm.