Observer Report
Islamabad
Irfan Siddiqui, a close aide to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, was sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand on Saturday, a day after his arrest in Islamabad.
Siddiqui was arrested during a late Friday night raid on his residence in the federal capital for not informing police while renting out his house under the tenancy law. A case under section 188 of the relevant law was registered against him, according to a report.
He was shifted to the Crime Investigation Agency police station after being kept at the Ramna police station of Islamabad for some time. Siddiqui, who served as the special assistant to the prime minister on national affairs during the PML-N government, was presented in the court of a judicial magistrate in handcuffs Saturday.
Police submitted an application to seek his remand. After initially reserving judgement on the request, Assistant Commissioner Mehreen Baloch sent Siddiqui to Adiala Jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
The lawyers representing Siddiqui also submitted an application seeking bail for their client. It will be heard in the court of AC Baloch on Monday. The counsel for Siddiqui contended that the house he had been suspected of renting out did not belong to Siddiqui, but that it was owned by his son Imran Siddiqui. PML-N spokesperson Maryam Aurangzeb said Irfan Siddiqui’s arrest is wrong and the FIR against him fake.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has strongly condemned the arrest of the senior journalist. Party’s vice president Maryam Nawaz shared a photo of Irfan Siddiqui and wrote on Twitter “This scene is enough to lower any nation’s head in shame. He is a teacher. Even today he was holding a pen”.
