The leader of the Awami Muslim League (AML), Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, on Sunday, leveled accusations against elite forces, alleging they trespassed into his home at night, mistreated his domestic staff, and coerced them into making statements.
The previous week, Sheikh Rasheed had reported that paramilitary troops and members of the Islamabad Police had forced entry into his F-7 sector residence in Islamabad during the early hours of Wednesday while he was abroad. A group estimated to be 80-90 strong had allegedly breached the door to his home, Rasheed claimed in a tweet following the incident.
In a video statement released recently, the AML chief reported a repeat of such an incident, claiming that his staff was subjected to physical abuse until they issued statements denying the assault. He stated that these aggressive actions were in response to a notice issued by Additional Sessions Judge Tahir Abbas Supra on June 9.
The AML leader further claimed that uniformed individuals subjected his domestic staff at his mother’s residence, Lal Haveli, to indiscriminate abuse at 4 am. He thanked the intervention of neighbors for saving the staff from the plainclothes officials.
In relation to these events, Sheikh Rasheed condemned the country’s current governance, likening it to the “law of the jungle” and declaring citizens to be “disgraced and humiliated.” He asserted his right to legal recourse, adding, “the tides of time will turn.”
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The former interior minister had earlier sought justice from Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial. In a video message posted on Twitter last week, the former prime minister’s confidante claimed his life was threatened, with three individuals tasked to eliminate him.
Sheikh Rasheed denied any involvement with the Al-Qadir Trust case and any association with former advisor to the prime minister on accountability, Shahzad Akbar. He offered to testify before the anti-corruption agency if he possessed any relevant information.
Rasheed concluded his plea by expressing concern for ordinary citizens, questioning their ability to thrive in the current political climate. He urged CJP Bandial to provide justice, stating that “after the Almighty, only the Supreme Court and the CJP were now the nation’s hope.”
