Sheikh Rashid arrested from Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has been arrested from a private housing society in Rawalpindi, sources said.

Sheikh Rashid’s lawyer, Advocate Sardar Abdul Razzaq Khan, confirmed the arrest of the Awami Muslim League’s chief.

Sheikh Rashid and two of his nephews were apprehended from their residence. Following Sheikh Rashid’s arrest, he was transferred to an undisclosed location.

Razzaq Khan said that Sheikh Rashid was apprehended by individuals in plain clothes. he further stated that there were currently no cases registered against Sheikh Rashid in Punjab.

He said that on May 10, the PTI chairman’s arrest led to a protest rally, and a case was filed against the rally at Islamabad’s Kohsar police station, in which Sheikh Rashid was also nominated.

According to Sheikh Rashid’s lawyer, there was currently no information available regarding Sheikh Rashid’s whereabouts, and efforts were being made to ascertain his location.”

In a separate development, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, the nephew of AML leader Sheikh Rashid, released a video message stating that his uncle had been apprehended by the Punjab police in Rawalpindi’s Bahria Town Phase III, and his current whereabouts remained undisclosed.

Sheikh Rashid Shafiq emphasized, “Both the Islamabad and Punjab police have officially conveyed to the high courts that Sheikh Rashid is not wanted in any case.”

He further urged the higher courts to take notice of his uncle’s arrest and investigate his whereabouts, pledging to engage in a principled legal battle. “We have consistently been advocates of principled politics,” he added.

سابق وفاقی وزیر داخلہ شیخ رشید احمد کی گرفتاری کے حوالے سے سابق ایم این اے شیخ راشد شفیق کا ویڈیو پیغام جاری pic.twitter.com/dVQfhcrV4U

— Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (@ShkhRasheed) September 17, 2023

Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi police in a tweet said: “Sheikh Rashid has neither been arrested by Rawalpindi police nor is in their custody. Rawalpindi police refute the news regarding his arrest.”

شیخ رشید احمد کی گرفتاری کی خبر کا معاملہ، شیخ رشید کو راولپنڈی پولیس نے گرفتار نہ کیا ہے اور نہ ہی راولپنڈی پولیس کی تحویل میں ہیں، گرفتاری کے حوالے سے چلنے والی خبروں کی راولپنڈی پولیس تردید کرتی ہے،

— Rawalpindi Police (@RwpPolice) September 17, 2023

Sheikh Rashid Ahmad is the founder and leader of Awami Muslim League, a small political party that is allied with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. Sheikh Rashid has been a staunch supporter of the PTI chief and his anti-corruption campaign against the former ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Sheikh Rashid has been in hiding since May 9, 2023, when he was accused of inciting violence and sedition during a massive protest rally in Rawalpindi, organised by PTI and its allies.

The rally was aimed at pressuring the government to accept the demands of the opposition parties, which included the resignation of former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, the dissolution of the parliament, and fresh elections. The rally turned violent when some protesters clashed with the security forces and tried to storm the military installations.

Following the violence, several opposition leaders, including Sheikh Rashid, were booked under anti-terrorism laws and treason charges.

Sheikh Rashid managed to evade arrest for more than four months, despite several raids by the police and intelligence agencies.

He claimed that he was innocent and that the government was trying to silence him for exposing its corruption and incompetence.

He also alleged that he was facing threats to his life from some “hidden forces”. He continued to communicate with his supporters and the media through social media platforms and video messages. He also announced that he would launch a “decisive” movement against the government on October 14, 2023, which he called “the day of reckoning”.

However, his plans were foiled when he was arrested from a private housing society in Rawalpindi on September 17, along with two of his nephews.

His lawyer confirmed his arrest and said that he was taken to an undisclosed location. He also said that he would challenge his arrest in the court and seek his bail.