ISLAMABAD: A local court on Thursday granted a two-day physical remand of former Interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to the police in a case of levelling allegations against the former president and co-chairman Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari.
Police produced Rashid before Judicial Magistrate Umar Shabbir for obtaining his physical remand after he was arrested by the city police in the wee hours of Thursday in a case registered against him at Aabpara police station. Police shifted Rashid from the police station to court in an armoured personnel carrier (APC) amid tight security arrangements.
Police registered the first information report (FIR) under Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups, etc) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
At the onset of the hearing, the investigation officer (IO) of the case produced the case regard before the court. The prosecution requested the court to grant eight days’ physical remand of the accused to conduct an investigation. The former interior minister during the hearing requested the court to remove his handcuffs. I remained federal minister 16 times, he said.
“Why are they not removing my handcuffs? They handcuffed me the whole night,” he said. Police removed Rashid’s handcuffs following court’s directions.
During the hearing, prosecutor Adnan read out the FIR registered against Rashid. The judge asked the prosecutor to show him the sentence in the FIR where Section 120 is applicable.
He told the court that Rashid tried to create threats for the family members of the Zardari. According to the section included in the FIR, Rashid could face up to seven years in prison, he said.
The judge asked the prosecutor that has Asif Zardari told you that he is in danger? The prosecutor responded that Ahmed has given the statement himself. The investigators have to conduct photogrammetric and voice match tests of the accused, he said.
He requested the court to grant eight-day remand of Rashid.
Rashid’s counsel Abdur Razaq, while arguing before the court said that the season of political revenge is continuing and his client was made its target.
“Political parties criticise each other every other day. If such cases keep being registered, then no politician will be able to talk,” he said, adding that the FIR has been registered against Rashid at 8pm.
He said that the police should have summoned Zardari to the police station because the allegations have been levelled against him. Cases registered under Sections 505 and 153 could only be registered by the federal or provincial government, he said, adding that a PPP worker had filed the case and not Zardari.
Razzaq said that police had arrested his client without a warrant. Ahmed’s other lawyer, Panjhota, argued that the prosecution was seeking physical remand just for recording a statement. Physical remand cannot be granted just for recording a statement, he said, adding that Rashid did not name any political party. Despite Islamabad High Court’s orders a case has been registered against his client, he said.
Rashid’s counsels requested the court to discharge his client from the case.
The judge asked the prosecutor that did you have the transcript of the programme. We have moved an application for obtaining a transcript from PEMRA, he said.
During the hearing, Rashid said that police have asked nothing from him since he was arrested. Police did not torture him, he said, adding that video of a police raid at his house is available. He said that he was asked what kind of information Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan shared with him during the meeting.
“Imran Khan told me he has evidence that Zardari wants to kill him and I said that Imran has evidence against Zardari. You can file a defamation case against me,” he said, adding that he considered Imran’s claims to be true.
The court after hearing the arguments of both parties reserved the verdict. Later, while announcing its verdict rejected the police request to grant eight-day physical remand of the accused and handed over Rashid to the police on a two-day physical remand.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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