ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: In a significant development, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed – an ally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan – was arrested from Murree Motorway in the early hours of Thursday. Arrested, police confirmed.
The former interior minister and his nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, however, denied the police’s stand and said that the authorities detained him not from the motorway but from his house in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Rawalpindi Division President Raja Inayat-ur-Rehman had registered a case against Rashid at Islamabad’s Abpara police station, alleging that former President Asif Ali Zardari had killed the PTI chief. They are plotting.
In the FIR, the PPP divisional president said the AML chief tried to malign the former president and create “permanent danger” to the PPP co-chairman and his family. of
The FIR further stated that Rasheed wants to disrupt the fight between PTI and PPP and the peace of the country with his allegations.
The PPP leader added that the AML chief claimed to have important information about the “conspiracy” to kill the PTI chief.
“If so, the police should arrest the two leaders under Sections 150 and 151 and foil the conspiracy to prevent unrest in the country,” he added.
Three sections – 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), and 505 (statements inciting public disorder) – have been added to the FIR.
Besides, the police told the journalists that a bottle of alcohol and a weapon were recovered from Rashid’s possession. The police also said that the former home minister was ‘intoxicated’ when he was arrested.
He was initially arrested by the Murree police, later he was handed over to the Islamabad police, who shifted him to Abpara police station, where a case has been registered.
Rashid is also embroiled in another case of “illegal possession” as the Abandoned Property Board (ETPB) sealed Lal Haveli — his residence — and five adjoining units on January 30. On the same day, the Lahore High Court ordered to seal the property.
The former minister was shifted to the Secretariat Police Station after a medical check-up at the Polyclinic Hospital.
Police arrested me from my residence: Rashid
Talking to the media after his arrest, Rashid claimed that the police did not arrest him from the motorway but from his residence.
Rashid said he feared for his life.
“My crime is that I stand with Imran Khan,” he said at Islamabad’s Polyclinic Hospital, where he was taken for a medical check-up.
He further said that I have been a minister 16 times, not even once, I have been accused of corruption in these ministries.
The former interior minister claimed that at least “100 to 200 armed men” raided his residence.
“They entered the house through the stairs, broke the doors and windows of the house, and beat my servants.”
The former interior minister said that the police forced him into his car. He said the police arrested him despite the fact that the court granted him bail and ordered the Inspector General of Police to appear in court on February 6.
Rashid alleged that Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was behind his arrest. However, he said that at the end of the day truth would prevail and he stood by Khan – in whose cabinet he served as home minister.
Imran Khan criticized ‘biased’ Interim Chief Minister of Punjab
In response, the former prime minister condemned the arrest of his close aide and accused Punjab’s caretaker government – headed by media mogul Mosheen Naqvi – of bias.
Strongly condemn arrest of Sh Rasheed.Never in our history have we had such a biased, vindictive Caretaker govt appt by totally discredited ECP. Question is can Pak afford a street movement which we are being pushed towards at a time when we have been bankrupted by Imported Govt?
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 1, 2023
“Never in our history has there been such a biased, vindictive caretaker government that was [appointed] entirely by the infamous ECP [Election Commission of Pakistan],” the former prime minister said.
“The question is, can Pakistan afford the road movement we are being pushed towards at a time when the imported government has bankrupted us?” he asked.
‘Will file a contempt petition,’ says Rashid’s nephew.
In a video statement, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, former Member of National Assembly and Rashid’s nephew, said that the AML chief was arrested by Abpara police at 12:30 pm from his residence.
Shafiq further said that Rashid was arrested from a private housing society located in Punjab.
He claimed that three to four hundred people of Islamabad police entered Sheikh Rasheed’s house.
Sheikh Rasheed’s nephew said that the police broke the doors of the house, beat the employees.
Shafiq said that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted relief to the former federal minister in this case.
“We will file a contempt of court application today,” Shafiq said, adding that the police would produce his uncle in court and try to get his remand. They claimed that the police seized two bullet-proof vehicles and two licensed Kalashnikovs from Rasheed’s house.
Allegations
The PTI chairman had alleged in January that Zardari was planning as well as financing an assassination attempt against him for which the former president had hired “terrorists”.
The PTI chief alleged that “…there is a plan C. Asif Zardari is behind it. He has collected a lot of money through corruption and he has invested this money in terrorists and a have hired a militant outfit,” the PTI chief had alleged. However, the PPP strongly denied the claim and sent a legal notice to Khan.
After the allegations leveled by Khan, Rashid also supported the claims and supported the allegations.
