ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday stopped the police from taking action against Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in the cases registered against him in Lasbela and Karachi.
The orders were issued by IHC’s Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri who was hearing a petition filed by the former interior minister against the registration of a case in Sindh.
At the outset of today’s hearing, Rashid’s lawyer told the IHC that the court had stopped further action on the summons issued by the Abpara Police Station. He added that police registered a case on the same complaint and arrested his client.
The counsel also informed the court that another first information report (FIR) was registered in Karachi while Sheikh Rashid was in Islamabad Police’s custody.
“If Poly Clinic [Islamabad] is the place where the statement was given then how was a case registered in Karachi?” asked Justice Jahangiri.
The court also wondered how multiple FIRs can be registered in different cities on the same incident.
At this, Rashid’s lawyer told the court that a third case was registered against his client in Murree.
“Has the arrest been made in all three cases?” asked the judge. The lawyer told the court that the arrest has been made in only one case.
On this, Justice Jahangiri remarked that as per law, arrest in one case is considered arrest in all cases.
Rashid’s counsel then told the court that the former interior minister was “tied to a chair for six hours” at an unidentified location. He also claimed that during this time, the AML chief was asked “political questions” and “tortured”.
The court then remarked that during Rashid’s tenure cases were registered against secretary information and managing director of the PTV.
“The same is happening with you. Think, if the female secretary information was arrested and taken by Budh Bher police station what would have happened?” asked the IHC judge.
The court then stopped the police from taking action in the cases registered against the former federal minister in Karachi and Lasbela. It also issued notices to bar councils, attorney general and advocate general of Islamabad.
The case was then adjourned till February 9.
