Awami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was arrested on Tuesday after a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court rejected his bail in a case pertaining to violence in the country on May 9.
Lawyer Sardar Abdul Razzak Khan confirmed the arrest to Dawn.com. “He will be held at the New Town Police Station overnight,” he said.
The AML leader was previously arrested in September last year by the Punjab police amid the state’s crackdown on the PTI and its supporters following incidents of vandalism on May 9 — when party chairman Imran Khan was first arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.
After over a month, Rashid had re-surfaced in a TV interview and condemned the May 9 riots. Questioned about his arrest, the AML leader had said he was on “a chilla [with] a tableeghi jamaat (proselytisers)”.
Today, Rashid appeared before the court of ATC Judge Malik Asif Ejaz for the hearing of his bail plea.
Speaking to Dawn.com, Rashid’s counsel said the AML leader had acquired bail in 12 out of 13 cases connected to the events of May 9 and a bail plea in the fresh case would be filed tomorrow.
The lawyer disclosed that Rashid was apprehended outside the court after his bail was rejected in a case pertaining to an attack on the office of an intelligence agency during the May 9 riots.
He clarified that the court would determine whether Rashid would be placed under judicial or physical remand during tomorrow’s hearing.
Regarding allegations of a conspiracy originating from Lal Haveli, Rashid’s residence, the lawyer insisted that the former minister was not involved in any such plot.
Responding to a query, Razzaq said it was impossible for Rashid to meet former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi or PTI founder Imran Khan.