Cops get more time to recover Rashid

Court orders RPO to produce former security czar on October 26

RAWALPINDI:

Granting the request of the Regional Police Officer for a one-week extension to recover Sheikh Rashid, the Lahore High Court (LHC)’s Rawalpindi Bench Thursday asked the police authorities to produce the former federal interior minister on the next hearing before the court.

During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan said he was giving the last chance for the police to make positive progress till the next date of hearing.

According to details, RPO Syed Khurram Ali appeared before the court and presented a report regarding the arrest of the former security czar. The RPO told the LHC bench that the City Police Officer, SP operations and police officers were not involved in Rashid’s arrest and the former minister was not in police custody.

The RPO requested the court to give some time for the recovery of Sheikh Rashid, upon which the judge granted the request and adjourned the hearing by issuing an order to the police authorities to produce Rashid on October 26.

Read: LHC seeks replies from Rawalpindi authorities over Rashid's arrest

Earlier, the counsel of the former interior minister, Sardar Abdul Raziq Advocate, termed the deadline of one week too much and said: “They want Sheikh Rashid to hold a press conference. The constitution, rule of law and courts have completely lost their sanctity in Pakistan.”

The counsel requested the court not to grant more than two days to the police. Raziq Razaq went on to inform the court that it has been one month and three days since Rashid was abducted by the police and government agencies.

“Under Article 10 of the Constitution, no person can be arrested without giving reasons in writing and if it is so, he has to be presented in court within 24 hours after the arrest,” he argued.

“The current situation demands that the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Defence Secretary and the IGP should be summoned and asked as to what was happening in the country,” he suggested and added that senior politicians and parliamentarians are being kept in custody and forced to hold press conferences.

A month has passed since the former security czar went ‘missing’ from the federal capital along with his nephew and a domestic servant with concerns for his safety growing with each passing day.

Lal Haveli case

On the other hand, the lawyers of former interior minister Sheikh Rashid completed their arguments in the case about the sealing of Lal Haveli – Rashid’s political office – and cancellation of its ownership deeds by the Punjab Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB).

The ETPB prosecutor presented partial arguments as the court adjourned the hearing of the case until October 25 and ordered to complete the arguments on the next date by answering four new court questions.

Advocate Raziq argued that it was a classic example of political revenge. “Former Punjab ETPB chairman was asked to seal Lal Haveli and cancel its ownership deeds, but he refused saying he would not take any illegal action,” he claimed and added that after his refusal, the department temporarily gave the current secretary, additional charge of the ETPB chairman for three months to get political revenge.

Also read: ETPB barred from taking over Lal Haveli 

“This notification was issued on May 5 and the three months concluded on August 4. However, the temporary chairman still sealed the Lal Haveli on September 14 despite the expiry of his chairmanship period and cancelled both ownership deeds of Lal Haveli,” he explained.

“These registries are in the name of former interior minister's brother Sheikh Siddique and his wife. According to the constitution and law, any registry cannot be challenged after three months,” he added.

The court directed the ETPB’s counsel to prepare well and complete his arguments on the next date of the hearing.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2023.