The Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Rawalpindi police, instructing them to produce Pakistan’s former interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed in court. This decision was made during a hearing related to a petition challenging the arrest of Sheikh Rasheed, who was taken into custody by unidentified individuals in plain clothes from a housing society in Rawalpindi on September 17.
Rasheed’s lawyer, Sardar Abdul Razzak, stated that his client was apprehended at a rented residence within the housing society, and his nephew was also detained. Following Rasheed’s arrest, no case was registered against the AML chief within the jurisdiction of Punjab.
It was mentioned that Rasheed had been nominated in a case registered at Kohsar police station in connection with a protest rally organized by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on May 10. Rasheed’s lawyer expressed uncertainty about Rasheed’s current whereabouts, noting that efforts are underway to locate him.
During the proceedings, the court inquired about the whereabouts of Sheikh Rasheed and those arrested with him from Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer (RPO) Syed Khurram Ali. Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan asked whether the police would present the AML chief in court or submit a written communication. In response, the police officer requested an additional 15 days of time.
The court, however, deemed 15 days to be excessive, considering the gravity of the matter, and granted the police an additional seven days. Justice Khan emphasized that if Sheikh Rasheed is not presented within a week, the court will issue orders for the registration of a First Information Report (FIR). The court also inquired about the two individuals arrested along with AML Chief.
During the hearing, Sheikh Rasheed’s lawyer mentioned the possession of evidence regarding the arrest by the Rawalpindi police, leading to the court’s decision to postpone the case’s hearing for a week.
On September 21, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) sealed Sheikh Rasheed’s residence, Lal Haveli, in its entirety. Deputy administrator Asif Khan of ETPB, while speaking to the media, explained that Rasheed’s submitted documents were deemed invalid, leading to the sealing of the former interior minister’s residence.
