ISLAMABAD, July 18: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) legislator Anjum Aqeel Khan was on Monday handed over to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in a Rs6 billion land scam in the National Police Foundation (NFP) housing society. Sources said police produced Anjum Aqeel in the court of Civil Judge Rai Liquat Ali Kharal and sought his physical remand in another fraud case registered against him in February 2010. After hearing arguments, the judge gave the legislator in police custody on a three-day physical remand.

Later, the legislator was handed over to FIA for probing Rs6 billion land scam in the NFP housing society. The MNA had obtained bail in the case till July 18.

Earlier in the day an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) gave the MNA into police custody on a 14-day judicial remand in a case of his escape from police custody last Friday, turning down request for physical remand.

Police presented the MNA before ATC-1 Judge Malik Mohammad Akram Awan amid tight security.

Arrested in a land fraud case last Friday, supporters forcibly took away the MNA from police custody. However, next day he surrendered himself, though police said he was arrested.

The court was told that the accused was involved in an armed attack on police party along with his accomplices, firing in the air and escaping from custody. The court was requested to grant police a seven-day physical remand of the MNA.

However, Inam Amin Advocate and two other defence lawyers argued that their client was heart patient and doctors have recommended his admission in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) but police put him behind the bars. They said the MNA’s life was in danger.

The lawyers maintained that the legislator was being victimised politically, adding that he did not know about the people who attacked the police party outside Shalimar police station and got him freed from custody.

However, they did not respond when the prosecution asked if the MNA did not know the people who took him away, why and how they released him.

Turning down request for seven days physical remand, Judge Akram Awan gave the MNA into police custody on judicial remand of 14 days. The court also directed Islamabad police to take him to Pims for checkup.

Chanting slogans, scores of PML-N workers gathered outside the court. They said the MNA was being victimised by the federal government.

However, Malik Abrar, a PML-N MNA, said his party believed in rule of law, adding that it would respect the court decision in Anjum Aqeel case. But he added the arrested MP had been involved in a fabricated case.

Saying that Anjum Aqeel was a heart patient, he regretted that instead of keeping him at the hospital after checkup, he was shifted to police station.

Malik Abrar said the party leadership formed a special committee to probe into the incident. He said the committee had already recorded the statement of Anjum Aqeel and it would send its report to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif soon.

On Sunday night the MNA was taken to Pims around 10pm amid tight security after he complained about chest pain.

Escorted by police vehicles, he was taken to the hospital in a private car. The hospital was partially sealed as a heavy contingent police was deployed. SHOs of Margalla, Shalimar and Kohsar police stations were present at the hospital during the six-hour treatment of Anjum Aqeel at the CCU ward.

Sources who remained with the MNA during his treatment said his condition was ‘serious’. They added that he was treated in Pims in March and doctors had advised him operation. Although the doctors refused to discharge him, the policemen took away him, sources said.