RAWALPINDI: Police have decided to approach court with a request not to extend the interim bail of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in a May 9 violence case, which expires on Saturday (today).

Sheikh Rashid was nominated in the case registered with the R.A. Bazaar police on September 30 under the Anti-Terrorism Act and Official Secrets Act for allegedly setting on fire sensitive installations. He has been on an interim bail till November 25.

The case was registered against 300 people, including PTI’s former provincial law minister Raja Mohammad Basharat and Khalid Jadoon.

More than 70 leaders and activists of PTI, including former state minister Shahryar Afridi, were arrested in the case. Some of them have been discharged after their identification parade and some have obtained bail. However, most of the nominated persons are languishing in jail.

Raja Basharat, who had reportedly led the protesters, has gone underground since then.

Sources said the police had sent a report to senior officials about the progress in the investigation of the case. The report said a DVD and USB provided by Pemra on August 22 were examined by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT). The examination of the gadgets led to the addition of more sections, including 153b, 505, 153, 153a, 146, 131, 121, 121a, 120a, 120b, 109, 107 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), to the case.

In addition, statements of two witnesses were recorded under section 161 and on August 26.

During the investigation, Sheikh Rashid has been found to be involved in the case though he was not wanted by any other police station of Cantonment circle, said the sources.

According to the sources, the police have decided to request the court not to extend the interim bail of Sheikh Rashid when he would be produced before the court on Saturday.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2023