Rashid booked for 'immoral' remarks against Bilawal

Police team formed to take former minister into custody and bring him to Karachi

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI:

A case has been registered against Awami Muslim League (AML) President Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in Karachi for delivering "immoral” remarks against Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

According to sources, the case was registered at the Mochko police station by a PPP worker over the former minister's comments against the PPP chairman.

The sources said a police team had been formed and would leave on Saturday to take the AML leader into custody, adding that he would be brought to Karachi.

The former interior minister was earlier arrested by the Islamabad police in a late-night raid on his residence in a private housing society for publically accusing former president Asif Ali Zardari of hatching a plot to assassinate PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

On Thursday, an Islamabad court remanded him to two-day police custody following his late-night arrest.

Rashid was arrested by the Abpara police after a case was registered against him under sections 120B, 153 A, and 505 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) on the complaint of PPP Rawalpindi Division Vice President Raja Inayat.

On Friday, the family members and lawyers of Rashid filed a plea in the district and sessions court seeking permission to be allowed to meet the AML chief.

Judicial Magistrate Umar Shabbir heard the plea and directed the Abpara police station SHO to look into the request of the lawyers in accordance with the law.

The position was taken in the plea that Rashid was 73 years old and suffering from various diseases, therefore, “he needs his medication but we are not being allowed to give it to him”. It is requested that the lawyers and family of Sheikh Rashid be allowed to meet.

After hearing the arguments of the lawyers, the court sent the application to the SHO, saying that according to the lawyers of Rashid, his family and legal team were not allowed to meet him in police custody. The application was forwarded to the SHO of the concerned police station. “The SHO of the concerned police station can see the application of Sheikh Rashid's lawyers as per the law.”