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Arshad Sharif’s laptop in ‘possession’ of PTI leader Murad Saeed

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  • Fact-finding committee asks Murad Saeed to provide laptop.
  • Saeed refuses to cooperate with committee, expresses reservations. 
  • Says he is willing to appear before SC’s judicial commission. 

LONDON: A fact-finding committee formed to investigate the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif believes that former minister of communications and PTI leader Murad Saeed is in possession of the journalist’s laptop.

Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Director Dr Athar Waheed and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Deputy Director-General Omar Shahid Hamid are investigating the case and they have asked Saeed to hand over the laptop of the slain journalist to the fact-finding committee, formed by the Pakistan government, on November 28 and ensure to bring the laptop along to assist in the investigation.

Contacted by Geo News, Saeed refused to make any comment on FIA’s communications with him but the former minister shared a copy of the letter he has written to the fact-finding committee, expressing his dissatisfaction.

The fact-finding committee has written to Saeed that “during the proceedings of the finding team it has come on record that you are in possession of Apple MacBook of deceased senior journalist Arshad Sharif. Therefore you are requested to provide the device of the deceased enabling the fact-finding team to ascertain the facts regarding the assassination of senior journalist in Kenya”.

Signed off by Dr Waheed, the letter to Saeed says: “You are requested to cooperate with the fact-finding team as we have to submit report with to the Human Rights Cell of the Supreme Court [SC] wherein it has been directed to share the inquiry report”.

In his letter to the FIA fact-finding committee written on November 21, Saeed expressed reservations and refused to cooperate with the fact-finding committee. ”The mother of Shaheed Arshad Sharif has already expressed her reservations and concerns with respect to investigation into assassination of her son by the current government. She has appealed for justice and expressed dissatisfaction over the govt of Pakistan’s handling of the matter. She clearly stated: “I have no faith in the Pakistani government,” the PTI lawmaker wrote. 

Saeed has written to the committee that he is “willing to appear before the judicial commission constituted by the august SC and present all the information he has with respect to the matter”.

The fact-finding team has also asked Tasnim Haider Shah from London to appear before the committee on November 28 and give evidence in support of his claim that Sharif’s iPad and iPhone are in the possession of Nasir Butt in London. Tasnim has said that Waqar Ahmad and Khurram Ahmad, who hosted Sharif in Kenya on Tariq Wasi’s request, were controlled by Butt from London.

Sharif was killed on October 23 in Kenya by the General Service Unit (GSU) officers while he was on his way from AmmoDump to Nairobi. Khurram was driving the car when Sharif came under the attack.

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Imran Khan appears before LHC to seek protective bail in two cases

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday appeared before the Lahore High Court (LHC) to seek protective bail in two terrorism cases filed against him in Islamabad. 

The former prime minister, who left his Zaman Park residence a while ago, is on his way to the high court. 

Two cases were registered against Khan and several PTI leaders in Islamabad’s counter-terrorism department (CTD) and the Golra police stations.

Cases were registered following clashes between the PTI workers and the police outside Federal Judicial Complex after Khan reached there to appear before a trial court to attend the hearing of Toshakhana case last week.

According to the police, the protesters resorted to arson and vandalism, and attacked the law-enforcement officials who were performing their duty to maintain law and order in the capital.

The FIR stated that the workers destroyed a police checkpost and broke the main gate of the judicial complex.

As many as 18 people were arrested for arson, pelting stones, and vandalising the judicial complex’s building, said the FIR.

“About two police vehicles and seven motorcycles were burned, and the official vehicle of the station house officer (SHO) was damaged,” it added.

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Imran Khan’s nephew Hassaan Niazi arrested for ‘misbehaving with police’

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  • Niazi shifted to undisclosed location, police sources say.
  • PTI claims Imran’s focal person had obtained bail in all cases.
  • Islamabad police deny arresting 10-year-old during raid.

Hassaan Niazi, the nephew and focal person of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on legal affairs, was arrested from outside an anti-terrorism court in Islamabad on Monday, police officials told Geo News.

He was arrested for “misbehaving with the police and resisting” at a checkpost, police sources said, adding that he has been shifted to an unknown location.

Niazi’s arrest came after his appearance at the ATC where a hearing of cases registered at Islamabad’s Ramna police station against PTI leaders and workers was being held.

Meanwhile, Advocate Faisal Chaudhry has filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) for the release of the PTI leader. The petition stated that “police abducted Hasaan Niazi from the premises of Judical Complex after he obtained bail in a case.”

Senior PTI leaders including Shibli Faraz, Omar Ayub, Raja Khurram, Aamir Mehmood Kiani, and Farrukh Habib also appeared before the court of ATC judge Raja Jawad Abbas for obtaining bail which was approved.

The bail applications have been approved till April 3 against surety bonds worth Rs50,000.

During the hearing of the cases, the ATC judge remarked: “There are so many suspects that [we] will have to check the history back and forth.”

All of the aforementioned leaders as well as the party’s workers had been booked under terrorism charges for the violence that erupted outside the judicial complex on Saturday where Khan had appeared in the Toshakhana case.

The PTI workers had clashed with police and caused damage to public property. They also set fire to 10 police motorcycles outside the judicial complex and overturned a police officer’s car.

Hassaan Niazi “abducted”, PTI claims

Meanwhile, the PTI claims that Khan’s focal person on legal affairs has been “abducted” by Superintendent of Police Nosherwan Ali Chandio, despite securing bail on all cases registered against him.

“It is the peak of police brutality. Hassaan Niazi, a lawyer whose bail was just approved by the court, has been abducted,” the party tweeted.

“Barrister @HniaziISF has been abducted illegally by @ICT_Police’s SP Nausherwan despite being on bail. We condemn this fascism and demand his immediate release,” the Insaf Lawyers Forum tweeted.

The forum demanded that the country’s chief justice take notice of this “blatant violation of laws.

“The Rule of Law in Pakistan stands suspended,” the tweet read.

PTI leader Farrukh Habib wrote that the police were deployed on both sides of the ATC, so that “they could arrest” them.

“According to lawyers, the police repeatedly said that they have received special orders to pick up Hassaan Niazi and Farrukh Habib. The lawyers informed me about their intentions; I dodged them and escaped after securing bail,” he wrote on Twitter.

PTI Senior Vice-President Fawad Chaudhry, taking to Twitter, called Niazi’s arrest “unacceptable”.

“Arrest of @HniaziISF is unacceptable, he has been arrested from Court premises despite bail call upon ILF lawyers and Bar Associations to join in the protest,” Fawad wrote in his tweet.

Condemning the development, the party’s secretary general Asad Umar said that the Constitution seems suspended following Niazi’s arrest.

“Hassaan Niazi has been arrested despite getting bail from the court. The Constitution now appears to be suspended,” his tweet read.

ICT rubbishes claims of “children arrested”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Islamabad police has rubbished the PTI’s claims of arresting a 10-year-old terming it “propaganda” against the police and other law enforcement institutions.

“Police have not arrested any 10-year-old minor child. A hateful propaganda is being carried out on social media to stop [us] from fulfilling our lawful duties,” the spokesperson said.

The ICT added that the police are performing their responsibilities while remaining within the scope of the law.

“The law is equal for all. Parents should keep their younger children away from crowds,” the spokesperson stated.

Earlier today, the PTI chief also claimed that the police in Islamabad raided homes without warrants to abduct PTI workers and “picked up” their children as young as 10 years old when the workers weren’t at home.

“Fascism at unprecedented levels with police in Islamabad raiding homes without warrants to abduct PTI workers. Where the worker is not present, children as young as 10 yrs are picked up,”

Khan further demanded the “immediate release” of his party’s workers and their children.

“We demand the immediate release of all our workers and their children who have been abducted,” he wrote in his tweet.

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PDM huddle to discuss future course of action today

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  • Meeting summoned after Shehbaz’s meeting with Maryam.
  • PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif to participate via video link.
  • Schedule of next general elections to be discussed in meeting.

ISLAMABAD: Amid a worsening political crisis in the country, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has convened an urgent meeting of his coalition partners today to discuss the future course of action vis-à-vis Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, sources said.

The huddle was summoned after the premier’s meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice President Maryam Nawaz in Lahore.

Officials, privy to the meeting, shared that Maryam held a detailed meeting with the premier and discussed the party’s future strategy to deal with the PTI chairman.

Sources said both the leaders discussed in detail the recent incidents at Zaman Park and Imran Khan’s visit to Islamabad. 

“They also discussed providing relief to the citizens during the holy month of Ramadan apart from the political and economic situation of the country.”

It was decided in the meeting that Shehbaz would call a meeting of the allied parties of the PML-N government and brief them to about the situation. 

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif would also participate through a video link.

Sources said the schedule of the next general elections will also be discussed in the meeting and recommendations will be sought from the leadership of allied parties.

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