Sheikh Rashid gets interim bail in May 9 case

A district and sessions court in Islamabad has granted interim bail to senior politician Sheikh Rashid in cases related to his alleged incitement of people to arson after the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan on May 9 in a corruption case.

As Sheikh Rashid appeared before Additional District and Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Sapra, the judge inquired about his well-being, eliciting a humorous response from the senior politician regarding weekend bank closures, which added to the challenges of securing interim bail.

Rashid's lawyer argued that his client's name was added to the supplementary challan, and he was not the prime accused in the May 9 incidents. Despite being listed in the secondary challan, police conducted raids at Sheikh Rashid's residence and seized his vehicles.

Following these arguments, the judge granted bail to Rashid, restraining the police from arresting him until November 25.

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The court also directed the AML chief, who served as a federal minister in Imran Khan’s cabinet, to submit a surety bond of Rs5,000 before adjourning the proceedings.

Speaking to the media outside the court, Sheikh Rashid revealed that this marked his 20th bail in cases filed at Islamabad’s Kohsar police station, with 66 more cases pending.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining good relations with state institutions, humorously noting that at 73 years old, he is facing 86 cases. He expressed gratitude to the judge for granting him bail "at an affordable cost.