Sheikh Rashid distances himself from PTI's November 24 protest call

Awami Muslim League leader says he is ready to face punishment if found guilty.

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Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, the leader of the Awami Muslim League, has made an appeal to Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Asim Munir, asking for leniency towards innocent individuals involved in the ongoing political unrest.

Speaking to the media ahead of a hearing for the GHQ attack case, Sheikh Rashid said that he was ready to face punishment if found guilty, but urged that those who were innocent should be pardoned, Express News reported.

In his remarks, Sheikh Rashid stressed that there are 150 accused in the case and said, "If someone can prove my involvement in the case, I am ready to face the consequences."

He further appealed directly to General Asim Munir, urging him to pardon the innocent while allowing politicians to face their trials.

“I request the Army Chief to forgive the innocent and let the politicians undergo their trials,” he added. "Seven years of imprisonment have been difficult, but the 40 days I spent in solitary confinement were even harder,” he said, referring to his recent detention.

The former interior minister expressed his ongoing support for former Prime Minister Imran Khan, stating that while he has a personal friendship with Imran Khan, he had no involvement in PTI’s upcoming protests scheduled for November 24. He clarified that he was not present at those events and there was no evidence against him.

"I have no link with the PTI’s call for the November 24 protest. I wasn't even there, and there is no evidence against me," Rashid said.

Rashid went on to speak about the hardships faced by the public due to inflation.

“The nation is trapped in the clutches of inflation, and the government is more focused on foreign visits than addressing these pressing issues. Even if someone invites him for a small ceremony, the Prime Minister is ready to go," he said, critiquing the leadership’s priorities.

He concluded by calling for a general amnesty for the innocent and emphasised his desire for political stability in the country. "If I am guilty, let me face the punishment. But I seek stability for the country and a better relationship with the army," Sheikh Rashid said, adding that he has never spoken against the army in the past.