April 25, 2008	Friday	Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1429

ISLAMABAD, April 24: Bail application of former state minister for communication Mohammad Shahid Jamil Qureshi was rejected by the Islamabad High Court here on Thursday, police said.

The court on the request of the city police and administration also ordered to hold trial of the case in the jail. The former minister was brought to the court for the hearing of his bail application submitted on April 18.

Chief Justice IHC Sardar Mohammad Aslam, after hearing the arguments of counsels of the accused and complainant, rejected the bail application and gave him in the police custody. Later, Mr Qureshi was shifted to the Adiala jail.

Earlier, his bail application was rejected twice by the lower courts during the last year.

Additional Sessions Judge Mirza Nisar Baig had rejected his pre-arrest bail on June 22, which resulted in his arrest. Later, Senior Civil Judge Abid Rizwan Abid also rejected his bail after arrest on July 25.

The former minister is facing the charges of qatl-i-amd (PPC-302), Qatl Shibhi-i-Amd (PPC-316), wrongful confinement for 10 days or more (PPC-344) and wrongful confinement in secret (PPC-346).

He was arrested by the police when Pakistani born Canadian national Kafila Siddiqui, 40, died in mysterious circumstances in a house at G-11/3, which she shared with him.

He has been in the police custody on judicial remand since July 17 last year. Earlier, he was given in the Shalimar police custody on June 22 on physical remand.

During the judicial remand, Mr Qureshi was also brought to the National Assembly from the jail to cast his vote in the presidential election on October 6 last year.

The police said the request to hold the trial in the jail was made due to sensitivity of the case as the accused was a former minister. The police were afraid that he might escape from their custody during the transportation.

Additional Session Judge Mirza Nisar Baig will hear the case in the jail, police said adding that the hearing was likely to be started by April 30.