RAWALPINDI, Pakistan: The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench Monday gave the city police chief a week time to recover Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.
The PTI ally was reportedly arrested from his residence in Rawalpindi by “plain clothes men”, his lawyer Sardar Abdul Raziq Khan had said on September 17. Rashid’s nephew Sheikh Shakir and houseworker Sheikh Imran had also been arrested and taken to an “undisclosed location”, according to the lawyer.
Days later, the police submitted City Police Officer (CPO) report to the court, which stated that neither Rashid was arrested by the Rawalpindi police nor he was in their custody.
On September 26, Rashid’s lawyer argued before the court that his client was arrested by the Rawalpindi police, the latter denied having the politician in their custody. The court had then directed the police to recover Sheikh Rashid.
Today, Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan resumed the proceedings over the plea against the alleged arrest. At the outset of the hearing, the police informed the court, “Sheikh Rashid’s nephew and worker have come back.” The court, however, dismissed the RPO’s report, saying, “The RPO has crossed limits.”
Justice Khan warned the police that a case would be filed against the SSP (Operations), the DSP and four station house officers who were allegedly involved in Rashid’s arrest. At this point, the ex-interior minister’s lawyer told the court that after arresting his client, he was taken to the Golra Sharif intelligence office. “There are videos depicting the transfer of Sheikh Rashid to the Golra intelligence office,” he added.
To this, Justice Khan said: “The one-week time warning is the last. If Sheikh Rashid is not found, I will get cases registered against all officers”.
Lal Haveli case
Separately, Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf of the Rawalpindi bench took up the plea against Sheikh Rashid’s Lal Haveli residence being sealed last month. Advocate Raziq argued before the court that the residence was sealed without any prior notice.
The additional attorney general told the court that the property had been sealed on the orders of chairman Evacuee Trust Property Board. The court ordered the AAG to submit response before the next hearing, which will be held on October 11.
