Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the chief of Awami Muslim League (AML), has sought post-arrest bail from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a case related to his allegations against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari for plotting the assassination of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan.
According to Express News, Sheikh Rashid’s post-arrest bail plea is expected to be heard by the IHC on Monday. The AML chief’s previous two bail applications had been rejected by a district and sessions court.
In his plea, Sheikh Rashid argued that cases are being registered against him due to a political vendetta. The petition stated that a case was registered against the AML chief not on the complaint of the aggrieved party, but on the complaint of another person. The petitioner requested the court to issue bail orders, stating that he is in jail and no longer needed for further police investigation.
On Thursday, a district and sessions court rejected Sheikh Rashid’s second post-arrest bail plea, which had challenged the dismissal of his previous bail plea by a judicial magistrate. The former minister is currently in the custody of the Murree police, who were granted a one-day transit remand by an Islamabad sessions court. A case was filed against Sheikh Rashid in Murree on February 3.
Sheikh Rashid was arrested last week from his residence in a private housing society in Islamabad, in a late-night raid by the city’s police. An application had been submitted to the Abpara Police Station to register a case against the ex-minister for claiming that former president Zardari was plotting to assassinate Imran Khan.