PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been arrested once again, soon after he was released from Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi in the cipher case.
The Supreme Court had granted Qureshi and former PTI chairman Imran Khan bail in the cipher case. However, on Tuesday, the Rawalpindi police detained him for 15 days under Section 3 of the MPO following the issuance of his detention orders by the deputy commissioner.
On Wednesday morning, the police requested the DC to cancel the detention, which was granted. Therefore, a team led by the SHO of the Saddar Beruni police arrested him. Qureshi attempted to resist his arrest, but the police took him away in an armoured personnel carrier.
As per sources, he has been arrested in a case of attack on the main gate of the army’s GHQ in Rawalpindi. They added that the former foreign minister will be investigated in the case.
Shah Mahmood was shifted to the anti-terrorism court to get his remand, the sources said.
On Tuesday, the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner had issued orders to detain the PTI leader under MPO for 15 days in the GHQ attack case. However, just before his arrest on Wednesday, the DC withdrew the detention orders. The notification said that if Qureshi was wanted in some other case, action should be taken as per law.
Also Read: Shah Mahmood Qureshi detained for 15 days
The sources said the police authorities had earlier requested the Rawalpindi DC to cancel Qureshi’s detention orders. A notification of the detention order's withdrawal was also issued on Wednesday by DC Hassan Waqar Cheema.
Speaking to the media, Qureshi said the police had come to arrest him again in a fake case, adding that he was detained under MPO soon after the judge signed his release orders. He called his re-arrest a violation of Supreme Court orders, saying it was illegal and maltreatment. He also claimed that he was a representative of the nation.
He said he was innocent and was only being made a target of political victimisation.
Also Read: Cipher case: Imran Khan, Shah Mahmood get bail
'Supreme Court should look into arrest'
Reacting strongly to the former foreign minister’s re-arrest, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said that Qureshi was an important member of the party and that the Supreme Court should look into the re-arrest.
Speaking to the media, Gohar also reiterated that the Supreme Court has barred the authorities from arrest any candidate to ensure free and fair elections. He said Qureshi had been arrested several times and now there was no need for an arrest under the MPO.
He further said that Section 3 of the MPO was a violation of basic human rights, adding that the section is applied when a person is detained until a new case is instituted. He appealed to the judiciary to ensure the safety of people.
On the other hand, PTI leader and lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat, while speaking in the Islamabad High Court, condemned the arrest of Qureshi.
He further said that they were not being allowed to even take documents to jail, adding that they had filed an application to hold public meetings.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi was detained on Tuesday after orders for the same were issued by the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner. The DC issued the orders for his 15-day detention, as he was set to be released on bail in the cipher case.
The detention orders stated that Qureshi was involved in the case of attacking the GHQ, Rawalpindi gate on May 9, adding that his release may pose a threat to peace and order in society.
It further said that the city police officer suggested a 45-day detention on the report of the station house officer (SHO) concerned. The district intelligence committee also agreed with the report of the police and security institutions.
The orders had come after the Supreme Court on December 22 approved the bail of former PTI chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.
The apex court accepted the PTI leaders' petition against the high court verdict in the case. They were granted bail in exchange for bail bonds of Rs1 million each.
