Awami Muslim League (AML) leader Sheikh Rashid was apprehended on Tuesday in connection with the May 9 riots, shortly after gaining bail in 11 related cases, including the GHQ attack case. The bail requests of 24 individuals, including three PTI candidates and Rashid, were under consideration by the court.
Additionally, interim bail was granted for former deputy speaker of the Punjab Assembly Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi and other PTI workers in cases linked to the riots. Rashid’s bail required a surety bond of Rs100,000. His lawyer, Advocate Sardar Abdul Razzaq, confirmed bail in two cases, with a decision expected soon for the remaining 10 cases. Confidence was expressed in the fairness of the ATC judges.
During the proceedings, the public prosecutor sought more time for investigation, but the court expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of case records and directed authorities to complete the investigation and submit the records by the next date. The former interior minister and his nephew were present, and when the prosecutors requested more time, Rashid took an oath by the Holy Quran, asserting his innocence related to the events of May 9.
The ATC judge cautioned against giving statements on the Holy Quran in court. Rashid’s counsel maintained that the prosecution lacked evidence against his client, alleging that Rashid and his nephew were included in the cases without basis.
Rashid and his nephew were implicated in 12 cases connected to the May 9 riots, which involved attacks on state installations following the arrest of the then-PTI chairman Imran Khan. The attacks targeted the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the corps commander’s house in Lahore, among others. Previously, interim bails for Rashid and his nephew were extended in cases including the GHQ attack, the army museum attack, and the intelligence agency office attack.
