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Court rejects Sheikh Rashid’s bail application: Sheikh Rashid, the leader of the Awami Muslim League (AML), was denied post-arrest bail on Tuesday by an Islamabad district and sessions court in a case involving his comments about the former president Asif Ali Zardari.
The PTI ally was detained by the Islamabad police on February 2 for allegedly disparaging the PPP leadership. The court then authorised the police a two-day physical detention.
An Islamabad court had on February 4 rejected the police request for further physical remand and instead ordered Rashid on a 14-day judicial remand in the case filed at the city’s Aabpara Police Station.
Rashid had submitted a post-arrest bail petition to the court the same day. He further requested that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) prevent the government from bringing new charges against him due to his political utterances.
The AML commander was the subject of complaints brought against him in Balochistan and Karachi on Tuesday, and the IHC had directed the police not to pursue the matters any further.
Rashid’s petition had been heard earlier today in the court of Judicial Magistrate Umar Shabbir, who had reserved the decision on his plea.
The discussion
Rashid’s attorneys filed the comprehensive order made public by the IHC yesterday in court together with the power of attorney at the beginning of the hearing.
The judge asked Razzak about his opinion on the involvement of the AML leader in scheme to murder Imran Khan. Razzak’s position on the matter was being questioned by the judge.
The lawyer said that Sheikh Rashid agreed with Imran’s statement and argued in favor of it. He then started presenting his argument.
According to Razzak, the complaint against his client was filed two days before he made his anti-Zardari comments. “The FIR is not prepared thus swiftly even if a murder is reported.
“No FIR filed against conspiracy against Imran, he claimed. However, a case was promptly filed for defamation of Zardari.”
The contents of the FIR filed against Rashid were then read aloud by Razzak. He claimed that on January 30, the AML chief received a notice from the police.
They were broadcast on television; Sheikh Rashid did not receive them. The notifications were cancelled the following day, and a FIR was filed, he claimed, adding that the police ought to have collected Rashid’s statement, looked into what he said, and then taken appropriate action.
“Defending Against Non-Govt Complaints, Citing IHC Ruling for Bail”
The attorney maintained that not one governmental employee had complained about his client. He continued by saying that the PPP supporter who made the accusations against Rashid was a regular person.
“If Zardari had filed a complaint, the situation would have been different. “Imran Khan received a defamation notice from Zardari for his comments. However, a case was immediately filed against Sheikh Rashid who confirmed Imran’s truthfulness.”
“Razzak requested immediate bail for his client. He cited the Monday IHC ruling as support.”
He asserted that “the case against him was solely lodged on the pretence of political revenge,” adding that the police had stormed the AML chief’s home and taken him away in “two bulletproof cars.” “The police found nothing from him throughout the investigation,” he said.