Sheikh Rasheed's request to hold rally at Lal Haveli on August 13 rejected

The Deputy Commissioner of Rawalpindi has rejected Awami Muslim League (AML) head Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed’s request to hold a rally at Lal Haveli, 24NewsHD TV Channel reported on Thursday.

According to the channel report, the Rawalpindi district administration informed the seasoned politician that they could not grant permission for a public gathering due to security threats and concerns over maintaining public order in the city.

Former federal minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had submitted the request to hold the rally on the night of August 13 at his residence, Lal Haveli. 

Reacting to the rejection, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed expressed his regret, stating, "We have been prevented from holding the rally on August 13. I regret the cancellation of the rally. To ensure there are no law and order issues in Rawalpindi, I am announcing the cancellation following the DC's order."

He said he was the first and only politician in Pakistan who had served in a juvenile detention centre in Haripur Jail and taught children in the third and fourth grades. 

He said he started his political career with Bacha Khan, Wali Khan, Zahoor Elahi, Shorish Kashmiri, Khawaja Safdar, Khawaja Rafiq, and Bizenjo, and the most painful moment of his life was being held for 40 days without knowing the location, but he did not write or record statements against anyone. 

He added that he never spoke against anyone's wife and held press conferences on his own terms after the detention at a secret place. 

He said he had regrets that he was sentenced to seven years in prison right after his mother's funeral. 

He remarked, "The politician enjoys being in jail. A big politician has even fathered children while in prison. I also cooked and ate whatever I wanted while in jail."

Reporter: Irshad Qureshi