Sheikh Rasheed case: Police's plea for transit remand rejected

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court has rejected a request by Sindh police for a transit remand of Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed after a case was registered at Karachi’s Mochko police station against the former interior minister, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to details, the investigation officer (IO) and the inspector for the case registered against Sheikh Rasheed in Karachi’s Mochko police station appeared before the Islamabad court.

During the hearing, the investigation officer requested the court to grant the Sindh police a transit remand of the AML chief so they could transfer him to Karachi.

The court asked if they had taken permission for investigating the case registered in Karachi. Later, the court directed the police to seek permission first and then request a transit remand.

The court rejected the police’s request for transit remand of Sheikh Rasheed while issuing a notice for the latter’s bail petition to be heard on Feb 6 (Monday).

It is pertinent to mention here that an Islamabad court rejected the police’s plea for Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed’s custody and sent him to jail on 14-day judicial remand.

Rasheed, who is a close aide of PTI chairman Imran Khan, was presented before the court of Judicial Magistrate Umar Shabbir after his two-day physical remand expired today.

However, the prosecution’s request for an extension was turned down by the judicial magistrate and AML chief was sent to Adiala jail on judicial remand.

The FIR

The Awami Muslim League (AML) chief was arrested from his Rawalpindi residence in the early hours of Thursday in a case of levelling allegations of setting a ‘murder plot’ for Imran Khan against Asif Ali Zardari.

AML chief Sheikh Rasheed was booked under three sections — 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief).

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.

With his provocatory allegations, the FIR added that Rasheed wants to cause a fight between the PTI and the PPP and disrupt the country’s peace.

The PPP leader added that the AML chief claimed to have vital information regarding a “conspiracy” being hatched to assassinate the PTI chief.