Sheikh Rasheed sent to jail on judicial remand

ISLAMABAD: An Islamabad court on Saturday rejected the police’s plea to extend Awami Muslim League (AML) chief and former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed’s custody and sent him to jail on 14-day judicial remand, ARY News reported.

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.

Today’s hearing

During the hearing today, the prosecutor informed the court that voice-matching tests of Rasheed had been done and the photogrammetry test was left.

The interior minister complained that the police kept him blindfolded and tied to a chair for 3 hours. He pleaded with the court to order the authorities to take him to a hospital for bandage. “There is blood on my hand, court should send me to a hospital for a bandage.”

At this, the court ordered to uncuff the former interior minister.

The AML chief also urged the sessions court to grant him Rangers’ security.

Another case registered against Sheikh Rasheed

Another case was registered against Awami Muslim League (AML) chief and former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed in Balochistan’s Hub for using foul language against Foreign Minister Bilawal-Bhutto Zardari.

The case under sections 153, 500 and 504 has been registered against Sheikh Rasheed on the complaint of a PPP local leader named Ali Asghar.

It may be noted that The Awami Muslim League (AML) chief on Saturday filed a plea in Islamabad High Court (IHC) to Karachi from Islamabad.

The plea was filed by Sheikh Rasheed’s counsel Sardar Abdul Razzaq Khan in the case of allegations against former president Asif Zardari.

The AML chief said that he referred to the statement of PTI chairman Imran Khan who accused the PPP co-chairman of conspiring about his murder.

He requested the court to stop his transfer to Karachi until the final verdict in the case.

The FIR

The Awami Muslim League (AML) chief, who is a close aide of PTI chief Imran Khan, was arrested from his Rawalpindi residence in the early hours of Thursday and is currently on two-physical remand 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.