Handcuffed Irfan Siddiqui presented in court

ISLAMABAD: In a closed-door courtroom, an assistant commissioner enjoying the powers of assistant district magistrate, rejected the bail application of Irfan Siddiqui, a renowned columnist and former adviser to the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, and sent him to jail on 14-day judicial remand on Saturday.

Irfan Siddiqui was arrested Friday night under Section 188 PPC from his home at G-10/3 on the allegations of violating the Tenancy Act. The handcuffed Irfan Siddiqui was produced before the court of Assistant Commissioner Ramna Subdivision Ms Mehnaz Baluch in strict security located in ETO office H-9 at about 11.30am with a group of lawyers. The counsels for Irfan Siddiqui provided documentary evidences that Irfan Siddiqui has nothing to do with the case. They claimed that neither Irfan Siddiqui owns the house which was rented out, nor he signed the agreement between the owner and tenant. The counsels told the court that the real son of Irfan Siddiqui was the owner of the house and he signed the agreement with tenant Javaid Iqbal. But the court refused to accept any plea in favour of the accused.

During the proceedings, entry of the media persons was strictly prohibited, even they were not allowed to enter the premises of the ETO office where the court is established. At least 20 police personnel were deployed at the main entry gate. The policemen deployed at the main gate were misbehaving with the media persons trying to enter the premises. Finally, Irfan Siddiqui was taken out of the premises in a camouflaged double-cabin escorted by two other vehicles with dozens of armed policemen. The accused, however, showed his cuffed hands from a narrow window of the vehicle, waved and left for jail.

One of his counsels, while talking to this correspondent, said violation of tenant law is not a serious offence rather his real crime was that he used to write the speeches of Maryam Nawaz after a similar assignment with the former PM Mian Nawaz Sharif.

Earlier, a team of Ramna Police Station led by a DSP, conducted raid at Irfan Siddiqui’s house (82, St 3, G-10/3, Islamabad) and asked to show the agreement signed on July 25, 2019, between the son of Irfan Siddiqui and tenant Javaid Iqbal. Despite showing evidence to prove that the agreement was signed between the son of Irfan Siddiqui and Javaid Iqbal hardly 12 hours before the raid and they had planned to submit the agreement with the Ramna police station next morning, the police handcuffed Irfan Siddiqui and took him with them. The police lodged a first information report (FIR) under Section 188 PPC and confined him in the lockup, police said.

In the FIR No 243/19, the police said that they had received a complaint and on verification of the agreement signed between the owner and tenant, the tenant Javiad Iqbal told the police that he hired the house owned by Irfan Siddiqui’s son Abdul Haq, who had violated the tenant law.

Rizwan Abbasi, an advocate of Supreme Court, said when contacted by this correspondent, that maximum imprisonment of 188 PPC is six months but violating tenancy law is not a heinous crime and bail could be taken from the police station on surety bonds.

INP adds: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan expressed reservations over the arrest of Irfan Siddiqui. In her statement, she said that she has sought the FIR's copy and the matter will be reviewed.

She maintained that the tenancy law was made by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and it implements equally on all citizens. She said there are some questions regarding the tenants to whom Irfan Siddiqui rented out his house. It is necessary for the owner to inform the relevant police station while giving the house on rent, she said. Firdous Ashiq Awan affirmed that Irfan Siddiqui and his family should not be treated unjustly.

Referring to Irfan Siddiqui’s profession, the SAPM said the PTI-led government respects the noble profession of teaching and has no policy of covert actions. “It is our mission to make all institutions independent but the process will require some time,” she concluded.