Lahore (Web Desk): The Lahore High Court (LHC) Pindi Bench ordered the police to recover Awami Muslim League (AML) chief and former interior minister Sheikh Rasheed within a week.
The court remarked during the hearing of a petition challenging the arrest of the politician.
Today, Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan of the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench resumed the hearing of the plea against the former interior minister’s arrest.
Advocates Razzak and Sardar Shehbaz Raza appeared as Rasheed’s counsels in the court while Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer (RPO) Syed Khurram Ali was present as the police’s representative.
"If Sheikh Rasheed is not presented within a week, the court will issue orders for the registration of a first information report (FIR)," said Justice Khan.
"What are the detainees saying after being released?" asked Justice Khan.
"Both the released individuals have remained silent and are refraining from saying anything," Razzak responded.
Rasheed was reportedly detained from his residence by “plain clothes men”, his lawyer Sardar Abdul Razzak Khan had said on September 17. Rashid’s nephew Sheikh Shakir and house worker Sheikh Imran was also arrested and taken to an “undisclosed location”, but later came back according to the Sheikh Rasheed’s lawyer Razzak.
Following Rasheed's arrest, his lawyer said no case was registered against the AML chief in the limits of Punjab. He added that the politician was nominated in a case lodged at Kohsar police station in connection with a protest rally held on May 10 by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the arrest of its Chairman Imran Khan.
“We do not know the whereabouts of Rasheed so far. Efforts are being made to trace him,” his lawyer claimed.
Police submitted City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Hamdani’s report to the court days later, which stated that Rasheed was neither in their custody nor was he arrested by the Rawalpindi police. While Razzak argued before the court that his client was arrested by the Rawalpindi police.
Meanwhile, the court inquired Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer (RPO) Syed Khurram Ali regarding the whereabouts of Sheikh Rasheed and those arrested with him.
The court then directed the police to locate Rasheed’s whereabouts and asked the law enforcement agency to make an all-out effort for his recovery.
On the other hand, Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf of the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench took up a plea against Raseed’s Lal Haveli residence being sealed by Evacuee Trust Property Board last month and ordered the additional attorney general (AAG) to submit all responses before the next hearing, which will be held on October 11.
