Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, a close aide of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and the leader of Awami Muslim League (AML), has been apprehended by unidentified law enforcement personnel, according to his attorney, Sardar Abdul Razaq, on Sunday.
The lawyer revealed that Rashid was taken into custody by plainclothes individuals from a residential area in Rawalpindi. He further explained that Rashid’s detention occurred at a rented residence within the housing society. Additionally, Rashid’s nephew was also detained during the same operation.
Razaq claimed that no formal case had been registered against the AML leader within the jurisdiction of Punjab. Instead, Rashid had been named in a case filed at Kohsar police station relating to a PTI protest rally held on May 10, protesting the detention of Imran Khan, the former prime minister.
The attorney expressed uncertainty regarding Rashid’s current location, stating that efforts were underway to locate him.
In a video statement released on Sheikh Rashid’s official X handle (formerly known as Twitter), his nephew and former MNA, Sheikh Rashid Shafique, confirmed that Punjab police officials, along with plainclothes officers, took Sheikh Rashid Ahmed into custody, along with his brother, Sheikh Shakir, and a domestic helper, immediately after the Maghrib prayer.
Shafique noted that the police had previously acknowledged in written statements submitted to the Lahore and Islamabad high courts that they did not have any outstanding cases against Sheikh Rashid. He emphasized that both he and Sheikh Rashid had consistently condemned the events of May 9.
Following their arrests, the trio was transferred to an undisclosed location, and their whereabouts remained unknown. Shafique appealed to the Supreme Court and high courts to reveal their location to facilitate legal assistance.
Furthermore, Sheikh Rashid’s nephew expressed uncertainty regarding the specific charges under which Rashid and his brother were detained. He urged the authorities to present them before the court, vowing to engage in a legal battle to uphold their rights.