Court to indict Sheikh Rashid in Zardari remarks case
AML chief Sheikh Rashid at a police station in Islamabad on Feb 02, 2023. SCREENGRAB
A district and sessions court in Islamabad on Saturday decided to indict Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid in the case pertaining to his allegations against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chair Asif Ali Zardari for plotting to assassinate PTI chief Imran Khan.
Islamabad Police presented a challan against the AML chief in the court and Judicial Magistrate Umar Bashir fixed the date of March 2 for indictment.
During the hearing, Rashid requested the court to give a date of March 15 as he had to participate in a conference, to which the court replied that the orders of the high court have been issued and they cannot prolong the matter.
“We will see when the trial starts,” stated Judicial magistrate Bashir.
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In a separate development, the judicial magistrate returned the AML chief’s request to register a case against SHO Aabpara police station Ashfaq Waraich, Inspector Ashiq Manwar, and other police personnel.
It was stated in the petition that the SHO threatened that he had “come to teach the Rashid a lesson”.
“On February 2 at 12:30 am, 150 to 200 people, some in uniform and some without uniform, broke the door, entered my house and arrested me without a warrant,” maintained Rashid.
The AML chief added in the application that the police took licensed weapons, gifted watches, two mobile phones, 0.274 million and two bulletproof vehicles with them.
The judicial magistrate remarked that it is not his authority to accept the application and directed the AML chief to submit the application to the court of a sessions judge.
Earlier this week, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) granted bail to the AML chief in the case pertaining to his allegations against PPP co-chair Asif Ali Zardari for plotting to assassinate the PTI chief.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani presided over the hearing of Rashid's post-arrest bail plea and announced the reserved verdict, and issued an order for the former interior minister to deposit surety bonds of Rs50,000.