Shah Mahmood Qureshi, PTI’s Vice Chairman, granted bail by the Supreme Court in a recent cipher case, faced mistreatment by police officials upon his re-arrest outside Adiala Jail on Wednesday.
Qureshi had been released on bail after the Rawalpindi DC revoked an order detaining the former foreign minister for 15 days under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
Police have yet to respond to Dawn.com’s inquiry regarding the case leading to the PTI leader’s arrest.
PTI posted on X that Qureshi was re-arrested outside Adiala Jail after being granted bail in the cipher case. The party mentioned the withdrawal of the Rawalpindi DC’s order issued yesterday.
گزشتہ ہفتے سپریم کورٹ کے فیصلے کے بعد اڈیالہ جیل سے ضمانت پر رہائی پر وائس چیئرمین شاہ محمود قریشی کو پولیس نے دوبارہ گرفتار کر لیا۔ اس سے قبل راولپنڈی کے ڈپٹی کمشنر نے MPO کے تحت جاری کیا گیا نظر بندی کا حکم نامہ واپس لے لیا تھا۔
پاکستان کے لیے بے مثال خدمات کے حامل شخصیت جو کہ… pic.twitter.com/IEgnAIcVXu
— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 27, 2023
The video posted on the party’s Instagram depicted Qureshi in traditional attire, trying to communicate with the gathered police personnel outside the jail while he stayed within its boundaries. Despite his attempts, an officer in Punjab police attire declined to engage and forcibly directed Qureshi towards an armored police vehicle by pushing him out through the gate.
Expressing his dismay, Qureshi questioned, “What is this?” Throughout this incident, as he was escorted to the van, onlookers in the crowd urged the officials to handle the situation with care.
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Qureshi expressed his disappointment, highlighting how the police were undermining the Supreme Court’s directives. “They are re-arresting me under false pretenses,” he stated.
Stressing his innocence and emphasizing his past service to the nation, he claimed, “I have served the country, and this targeting for political vendetta lacks any substantial reason.”
On Friday, the Supreme Court had granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his close associate Qureshi in the cipher case, mandating both to furnish surety bonds valued at Rs1 million each. Anticipating her father’s release, Qureshi’s daughter had stated that his arrest wasn’t warranted in any other matter.
The previous day, Qureshi’s family had arrived at Adiala Jail to submit his surety bond. However, before they could acquire the release order (robkar), news surfaced that Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hassan Waqar Cheema had issued a 15-day detention order for the ex-Foreign Minister under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).
Subsequently, a subsequent notification from the DC, obtained by Dawn.com, declared the withdrawal of the detention order. “The detainee should be immediately released from the jail unless required for detention in any other case,” the notification outlined.
