IHC bars Sindh, Balochistan police from taking action against Sheikh Rashid

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday stopped law enforcement agencies from taking action against Awami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rashid in cases registered against him in Karachi, Sindh and Lasbela, Balochistan.

However, it allowed Murree police to pursue case against Rashid, reported Aaj News.

The decision was announced by IHC Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri during the hearing of a petition filed by Rashid against the registration of a case against him in Sindh.

On Saturday, he had lodged a petition in the High Court for nullification of cases against him in Karachi, Sindh as well as Murree.

During the hearing on Monday, his counsel told 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 informed IHC that first information reports (FIRs) were registered against Rashid in Karachi and Murree while he was in Islamabad Police’s custody.

The court wondered how multiple FIRs can be registered in different cities on the same incident.

Reasons for arrest

Rashid was arrested by law enforcement agencies last week and following the end of his two-day physical remand, an Islamabad court on Saturday sent him on a 14-day judicial remand.

He was arrested on a police complaint filed by Raja Inayatur Rehman, the vice president of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Rawalpindi Division, wherein he said that the AML chief, in a television interview on Jan 27, alleged that Zardari got the assistance of some terrorists to plan Imran’s murder.

On Friday, Sindh Police registered an FIR against Rashid in Karachi for “using foul language against Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto”.

In a similar case filed in Lasbela, Balochistan, Rashid was booked for using “filthy” language against Bilawal.

Another case was also registered against him at the Murree police station under Section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public function) and 506(ii) (criminal intimidation) of the PPC for manhandling a police official at the time of the arrest.