Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, a leader of the Awami Muslim League (AML), was arrested on Tuesday following the rejection of his bail by a Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court in connection with a case related to violence in the country on May 9.
The arrest was confirmed by lawyer Sardar Abdul Razzak Khan, who stated that Sheikh Rashid Ahmed would be held overnight at the New Town Police Station. This development comes as a result of the court's denial of bail in a case related to an attack on the office of an intelligence agency during the May 9 riots.
This isn't the first time Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has faced legal issues. He was previously arrested in September of the previous year by the Punjab police as part of the government's crackdown on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its supporters following incidents of vandalism on May 9. During that time, PTI chairman Imran Khan was initially arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.
After more than a month, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed re-emerged, condemning the May 9 riots in a television interview. He explained his absence by stating that he was on a religious retreat, a "chilla," with a group of proselytizers.
While the AML leader had obtained bail in 12 out of 13 cases connected to the events of May 9, a fresh case has led to his recent arrest. The lawyer disclosed that a bail plea for this new case would be filed tomorrow, and the court would determine whether Sheikh Rashid Ahmed would be placed under judicial or physical remand during the upcoming hearing.
Addressing allegations of a conspiracy linked to Lal Haveli, Rashid's residence, the lawyer asserted that the former minister was not involved in any such plot. Furthermore, in response to questions about Rashid's interactions with prominent figures such as former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi or PTI founder Imran Khan, the lawyer insisted that it was impossible for Rashid to have met them.
