PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was granted bail in the cipher case by the Supreme Court last week, was manhandled by police officials as they re-arrested him outside the Adiala Jail on Wednesday.
Qureshi was released from jail on bail after the Rawalpindi DC withdrew an order for detaining the ex-former foreign minister for 15 days under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
Police have not yet responded to Dawn.com’s request for a comment regarding the case in which the PTI leader was taken into custody.
In a post on X, the PTI said that Qureshi was again arrested from outside the Adiala Jail after being released on bail in the cipher case. The party said that the order issued yesterday by the Rawalpindi DC had been withdrawn.
Footage shared by the party on Instagram showed Qureshi, clad in a cardigan and a shalwar kameez, attempting to speak to police personnel gathered outside the jail while he remained inside its premises. However, an official wearing the Punjab police uniform refused to listen and proceeded to shove Qureshi out the gate and toward an armoured police vehicle.
“Look at this. What is this?” Qureshi said as he was pushed the entire way to the van while the crowd yelled at officials to be careful.
Qureshi said that police were making a mockery of the Supreme Court’s orders. “They are arresting me again in a false case,” he said.
“I represented the nation, I am innocent and I am being targeted for political revenge without any reason,” he said.
On Friday, the top court had granted bail to former prime minister Imran Khan and his close aide Qureshi in the cipher case and told to submit surety bonds worth Rs1 million each. Qureshi’s daughter had said she expected her father would be released as his arrest was not required in any other case.
Yesterday, Qureshi’s family had arrived at Adiala Jail to pay his surety bond but before they could obtain the robkar (release order), it emerged that Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hassan Waqar Cheema had issued an order for the former foreign minister’s 15-day detention under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
However, a subsequent notification issued by the DC, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said that the detention order had been withdrawn.
“The detenu shall be released from the jail forthwith, if he is not required to be detained in any other case,” it said.
Meanwhile, in a post on X the PTI strongly condemned the manner in which Qureshi was arrested.
“The disgraceful arrest of Shah Mahmood Qureshi after the Supreme Court granted him bail is a slap on the face of the judiciary and justice system,” the party said.
The party said the state was crossing all limits of brutality and cruelty over its failure to break the bond between Imran Khan and the nation.
“After the announcement of the election schedule, there has been an increase in oppression and fascism against the leadership, candidates and workers of PTI,” it said.
It said Qureshi was one of the party’s main candidates in the forthcoming Feb 8 general election, adding that attempts were being made to keep him out of the election race.
It termed the deputy commissioner’s detention order a clear violation of the Supreme Court’s decision regarding a level playing field for all political parties. The party held the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) responsible for the atrocities being carried out against PTI by the “unconstitutional, illegal and undemocratic caretaker governments”.
The PTI urged the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of abuse of power issued orders for the recovery and release of Qureshi.
In a video shared by the PTI, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan requested the judiciary and Supreme Court to look into the matter. “You granted [Qureshi] bail on the grounds that he is a senior politician who needs to contest the elections,” Khan said.
“And for elections to be free and fair and transparent, it is necessary that all people participate,” he said.
“Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been arrested and rearrested like this multiple times before,” Gohar said, adding that such arrested had an impact on the elections.
Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail later in the day, Gohar said, “If the Supreme Court granted bail to Qureshi on the basis that elections need to be free and fair and transparent, then the ECP needs to make sure he is released.”
He said that the party would approach the ECP and also the high court if necessary.
“I also told the ECP that it would have been very good if they personally went out today and surveyed what was happening in various locations,” Gohar said, adding that he would nonetheless submit an application to them.
Lawyer Khadija Siddiqi said that the manner in which Qureshi, a senior politician and an elderly man, was “manhandled” for the “despicable purpose of re-arrest shows the desperation”.
“Court orders are flouted every minute, constitutional guarantees buried. But who cares. Pre-poll rigging first,” she said.
