Police on Thursday arrested Provincial Assembly Member (MPA) Shoaib Idrees after an anti-terrorism court (ATC) refused to extend his bail. Idrees, who belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), faces charges of attacking a police station and assaulting policemen.
Idrees, along with nine nominated and 50 unidentified accused, was booked by the Khurarianwala police under sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) for attacking the police station on July 18, 2014, taking the law into his own hands, damaging the police station building, creating a law and order situation, rioting and injuring Sub-Inspector Riyasat Ali and two other men.
After registration of the case, police presented the challan before the ATC. Police conducted several raids in Faisalabad and Lahore, but could not arrest him.
The MPA then appeared before the Lahore High Court and got protective bail until August 28.
On August 28, he appeared before the ATC and the court extended the interim bail up to September 2.
When the MPA appeared before the court on September 2, the ATC adjourned the hearing until September 4.
Today (September 4), the ATC refused to extend the interim bail. Police immediately arrested him and took him to the police station.
Idrees has denied the charges. Talking to The Express Tribune, he had said that police had fabricated the charges against him. “I did not attack the police station. I only tried to pacify the mob that had surrounded the police station after the police arrested some villagers,” he has said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 5th, 2014.
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