Rawalpindi, January 17, 2024 (GNP): Sheikh Rashid, the former interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief, was apprehended outside a courtroom by Rawalpindi police after a local court denied his bail in connection with a case linked to the May 9 riots, according to media sources.
Rashid faces charges of vandalism at the Sixth Road Metro bus station in Rawalpindi, leading to the registration of a case against him. He is currently being transferred to the New Town Police Station.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC), having rejected his bail, has adjourned the hearing of the riots-related cases involving Sheikh Rashid until January 25. Despite the allegations, the former interior minister maintains his denial of involvement.
In a statement to reporters following his arrest, Sheikh Rashid asserted that he was not implicated in the attacks on state installations. He declared, “With God as my witness, I was not present at the spots where the attacks took place.”
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The politician’s lawyer, Abdul Razzaq Khan, informed reporters that the senior politician’s nephew, Rashid Shafique, has been granted bail in all 13 cases related to the May 9 riots. Nonetheless, the AML chief, Sheikh Rashid, has been taken to the police station and is scheduled to appear before the ATC for a decision on either judicial or physical remand.
In response to a question, he stated that arranging a meeting between Rashid and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan or PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in jail would be impossible. The lawyer categorically denied allegations that Rashid incited people to attack military installations, emphasizing that Lal Haveli was not the center of any conspiracies.
Widespread violent protests unfolded nationwide on May 9 last year following the arrest of the former prime minister in a corruption case. This resulted in the apprehension of thousands of PTI workers and protestors, with several leaders distancing themselves from the party due to the events.
