Sheikh Rashid’s post arrest bail plea rejected

Islamabad: A judicial magistrate on Tuesday rejected the post arrest bail of Awami Muslim League (AML) chief and former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed in a case about accusing PPP Co-chairman and former President Asif Ali Zardari for the third plot for assassination of PTI Chief Imran Khan.

Judicial Magistrate Umer Shabbir announced the verdict reserved earlier after the arguments of the both parties.

Sheikh Rashid field the post-arrest bail plea through Advocate Sardar Abdur Razzaq and Advocate Intezar Panjhota.

The counsel for the AML chief argued that his client did not accused Zardari rather he quoted Imran Khan, saying that Zardari was behind the third plot.

He also argued that why swift action was taken against his client, pointing out that the investigators did not find anything suspicious during the physical remand of Rasheed.

The counsel contended that Sheikh Rashid was politically being victimized and claimed that during raid, the police took Rs700,000 and other valuables from his house.

A law officer, however, opposed his bail plea, saying that he could run away if he is granted bail at this stage. He told the court that he was arrested through a lot of effort.  After hearing arguments of both sides, the judge reserved the verdict and later announced it by rejecting the bail plea of Sheikh Rashid.

The former Interior Minister is in Adiala jail on 14-day judicial remand.

It may be mentioned here that Sheikh Rashid was arrested from his Rawalpindi residence in the early hours of last 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.

He was booked under sections— 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) on the complaint of PPP leader in Rawalpindi.

The FIR said that Sheikh Rashid wanted to cause a fight between the PTI and the PPP and disrupt the country’s peace.

The PPP leader said that the AML chief claimed to have vital information regarding a “conspiracy” being hatched to assassinate the PTI chief.