An anti-terrorism court (ATC) here has sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, to jail on judicial remand till February 25.
The ATC heard a case related to aerial firing and creating a disturbance in by-elections in Karachi’s PS-88 constituency on February 16. Haleem Adil Sheikh and other accused have been produced before the court by jail officials today.
The prosecutor told the court that the accused had attempted to intervene into the polling process during the PS-88 by-elections.
The prosecutor also sought remand of Haleem Adil till March 3. The counsels representing the accused apprised the ATC judge regarding the recovery of a poisonous snake from the room of Sheikh.
The lawyer argued that the case was the result of political revenge but not a terrorism case. He said that firing was resorted to on the vehicle of Haleem Adil Sheikh. During the hearing, the opposition leader said that the snake was deliberately left in his room and it was a conspiracy to murder him.
To this, the judge remarked that he should not deliver such political statements outside the courtroom. “We are sending you to jail and you will be safe there.”
Later, the court sent Sheikh to jail on judicial remand till February 25. The ATC ordered authorities to produce the accused again on February 25.
Moreover, the court issued notice to the prosecutor regarding the bail plea of Sheikh and sought arguments on February 22.Meanwhile, Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Karachi Ghulam Nabi Memon has sought a report from the authorities regarding the appearance of a poisonous snake in the cell of Leader of Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, where he is kept on the court orders.
AIG Memon telephoned DIG CIA Arif Hanif and inquired after the matter. The Karachi police chief ordered Arif Hanif to investigate the matter that how a poisonous snake appeared in Sheikh’s cell and submit the report at the earliest.
Earlier in the day, Muhammad Ali Baloch, a spokesman for the leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly, said “A poisonous snake turned out in the room of Haleem Adil Sheikh which was pinpointed by a servant who went there to deliver breakfast.”After seeing the snake, Sheikh killed it.
” Baloch said the presence of the snake in Haleem Adil Sheikh’s room put a question mark on the police performance.
“Conspiracies are being hatched against Sheikh as police have become a slave to the Pakistan People’s Party,” he alleged.
