Adiala Jail authorities refused to present Sheikh Rasheed infront of NA 62’s returning officer for scrutiny of his nomination papers.

Sheikh Rasheed is in Adiala Jail on a judicial remand after his arrest on February 2 from his house in a private housing society in Islamabad.

He had tweeted on Friday that he would appear infront of the returning officer in-person to have his nomination papers scrutinised.

However, jail authorities said ‘security risks’ would not allow them to take Rasheed to the returnign officer. Rasheed’s nephew Rahid Shafiq said that the jail’s refusal amounted to contempt of court. He also said that he had received a call late on Friday saying that Rsheed won’t be presented in front of the RO.

“He was not presented despite orders from the returning officer and Murree’s magistrate,” Shafiq said on Saturday.

Shafiq also repeated the claim that the veteran politician was being pressured to switch loyalties in jail. He also claimed that Rasheed had been offered a meeting with an ‘important personality’ while returning from Muree to Adiala Jail, but had refused to agree.

Rasheed is competing for the NA62 seat in Rawalpindi which was vacated by his resignation. Elections are to be held on March 16 and scrutiny of nomination papers is a key part of the run up to the polls.

Bail from Murree Court

Meanwhile, a local court in Murree granted Rasheed post-arrest bail in a case of ‘interfering in state affairs.’

Rasheed was asked to submit surety bonds worth Rs50,000.

The case was filed on February 2 after Rasheed had been arrested. It accused him of resisting arrest and threatening police officials. The politician said he had not been informed that warransts for his arrest had been issued.