Awami Muslim League (AML) leader and PTI ally, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, was arrested by Islamabad police on Sunday evening, reported the 24NewsHD TV channel.  

According to his lawyer Sardar Raziq Khan, “Men clad in plain clothes arrested Sheikh Rashid from his residence, claiming that the former interior minister had been moved to an “undisclosed location”.

Sardar Raziq Khan said Rashid’s nephew Sheikh Shakir and houseworker Sheikh Imran have also been arrested  from his house located at Bahria Town Phase -III Rawalpindi.  He said that it is not known in which case Sheikh Rasheed has been arrested. However, he asserted that they will take the legal route. 

 

Taking the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, Sheikh Rashid's nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq denounced the arrest.  

https://twitter.com/SheikhRashid60/status/1703419500643893533

 He said Sheikh Rashid his elder brother Sheikh Shakir and employee Imran were arrested by the police. The three were shifted to an unknown location, he added.

The three persons were arrested by the Police from Bahria Phase III, Rawalpindi, he said adding that Punjab and federal police have submitted in written form in the court that Sheikh Rasheed is not wanted in any case.

He further stated that Sheikh Rasheed and he already condemned the events of May 9.

The high courts are requested to find out where is Sheikh Rasheed and we want to provide legal assistance to Sheikh Rasheed and others.

He lamented Sheikh Rasheed is a senior politician, he cannot be picked like this. We should be told immediately where Sheikh Rasheed is being kept and if anything happens to Sheikh Rasheed, the federal and Punjab governments will be responsible, he warned.

Our lawyer Sardar Raziq will approach Islamabad and Rawalpindi High Court tomorrow in this regard.

In a post on social media platform X, the PTI condemned Rashid’s arrest. “The political victimisation and fascism continues, this time with the arrest of Sheikh Rashid,” it said.

https://twitter.com/PTIofficial/status/1703419281290006744

 Earlier, the 24NewsHD TV channel reported that former federal minister Sheikh Rasheed’s nephew has allegedly been involved in money laundering and gold smuggling at the behest of his uncle.

According to sources, the law enforcement agencies started not only a campaign against smugglers and money launders but also decided to expand their operations to politicians and officials.

In this regard, these agencies take Sheikh Rasheed’s nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq on their radar as he is allegedly involved in illegal activities at the behest of the senior politician.

Sources close to the matter disclosed that foreign currency and gold were surreptitiously transported by Sheikh Rasheed's network, while the black money of various political figures was purportedly laundered through this clandestine network.

The smuggling operation, which had reportedly been ongoing for a considerable period, is believed to have had ties to foreign agencies. Millions of dollars and foreign currency were allegedly smuggled to destinations including Afghanistan and other countries.

The agencies have also found evidence of the daily smuggling of more than 500 kilograms of gold from Rawalpindi to other countries.

It is revealed that his nephew, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, is alleged to have overseen all affairs related to this operation in the absence of Sheikh Rasheed. The gathering point for gold and money is reported to have been the Fateh Jang farmhouse.

The caretaker government vowed to take indiscriminate action against not only the alleged perpetrators but also those facilitating the illicit activities of this suspected mafia.