Former Pakistan Interior Minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief Sheikh Rashid has been arrested in connection with the May 9 riots case. Rashid was granted bail in 11 other related cases, including the GHQ attack case, before being arrested. The court had reserved judgment on the bail requests of 24 people, including three PTI candidates and Rashid, a day earlier. Rashid’s bail was subject to the payment of a surety bond worth Rs100,000. Rashid and his nephew Rashid Shafique were implicated in 12 cases connected to the May 9 riots, which refer to attacks on state installations last year following the arrest of the then-PTI chairman Imran Khan in a corruption case.
The installations, that were attacked, included the army’s General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the corps commander’s house in Lahore. The ECP has directed the provincial election commissioners, returning officers, and district returning officers to refrain from changing electoral symbols without seeking permission from the election commission. The ECP emphasized the importance of maintaining stability in election symbols for the upcoming polls.