Court approves Sheikh Rashid's bail in May 9 riots case

RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court Saturday approved the bail plea of Awami Mulsim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, ordering his release in the May 9 riots case.

The court's decision came after the AML chief filed a plea seeking his bail. His petition was approved for a surety bond of Rs200,000 and the judge Malik Ijaz Asif ordered for the senior politician to be released.

The senior politico was, therefore, released from the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi.

Sheikh Rashid's bail and subsequent release orders come after he lost the February 8 general elections in his coveted Rawalpindi constituency after contesting for the NA-56 seat.

The senior politician was embroiled in a new case, booked at the new town police station in Rawalpindi, pertaining to the May 9 violence, which was triggered almost across the country after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and deposed prime minister Imran Khan was arrested in the £190 million settlement case.

Following the riots, hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations. The AML chief was also one of the accused in the case.

Meanwhile, during the hearing of Sheikh Rashid's plea, no one appeared in the court on behalf of the prosecution, while the veteran politico's lawyers Sardar Abdul Razaq Khan and Sardar Shehbaz appeared in the court.

Earlier this week, the court had conducted a hearing on the bail applications of PTI senior leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi and the AML chief, adjourning it today (February 10).

During the last hearing, held on Tuesday, the court rejected the request of the police for the physical remand of Sheikh Rashid in three different cases. Instead, the judge discharged the politician in all three cases.

On the other hand, the hearing on the bail applications of Qureshi and Khan was adjourned till February 13.