A visitor might have brought in the snake to Haleem Adil Sheikh's cell, says Murtaza Wahab

• Wahab says someone could have brought the snake inside to trigger controversy
  
• Authorities have started to check the CCTV footage, says the Sindh govt spokesperson
  
• PPP does not believe in victimisation, says Murtaza Wahab

Senator Murtaza Wahab has reacted to a snake being discovered in PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh's cell, saying that it is possible that someone from the outside may have brought the snake to the jailed opposition leader's cell to deliberately trigger a controversy, The News reported on Sunday.

Two days earlier, a snake was found in Sheikh's cell. The PTI leader is being kept in police custody after his arrest for allegedly violating law and order during the by-polls in Karachi's Malir earlier this week.

Sources said the officers stationed outside Sheikh's cell did not hear any noise, but authorities have started checking the CCTV footage.

Read more: Statements of CIA officials recorded after snake found in Haleem Adil's police cell

The Sindh police and government faced severe criticism after a snake was found in Sheikh's cell when he was in police custody on Friday. Later in the day, the PTI leader was sent to jail.

Sheikh had claimed that a cobra had been placed inside his cell on the directives of PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah. The PTI leader said he had killed the snake. 

Speaking to media persons after attending a conference at the University of Karachi on Saturday, Wahab said: "The police do have evidence of whoever came to meet Haleem Adil Sheikh. If a woman came to visit him, it will also be determined."

He said that the state was under a solemn obligation to respond in accordance with the law if someone challenged its writ.

Wahab accused the Sindh Assembly opposition leader of carrying weapons while visiting polling stations during the recent by-election in the PS-88 constituency in District Malir. 

Police acted in obligation of state

He said that police had to act against Sheikh in pursuance of the obligations of the state, adding that the PTI leader would be set free in case police did not find evidence against him.

“No matter to whatever extent Haleem Adil uses foul language, we don’t believe in doing victimisation,” Wahab maintained, noting that the Sindh inspector general of police had to work under the provincial chief minister.

'People have rejected PTI rule'

The law adviser said people had rejected the ruling PTI as was evident in the latest by-elections that were held in a few cities of the country.

Read more: Sneak attack: Haleem Adil Sheikh finds snake in a room while in police custody

Expressing the hope that members of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies would vote according to their conscience in the Senate polls, Wahab said that the ruling party had once more fielded the wealthy cronies of its leadership in the Senate polls

The true representatives of the public had become successful in the recent by-polls in the country as the masses had rejected the performance of the ruling PTI, Wahab said, as he described the recent by-polls as the people’s referendum against the ‘selected government’.

He also claimed that the PTI, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, and the Grand Democratic Alliance — the three major opposition parties in the Sindh Assembly — were not in a position to win any reserved seats for women and technocrats in the Senate from the province.