PTI’s Shah Mehmood Qureshi manhandled and arrested after being released from Adiala jail

Lahore: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party's Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was last week granted bail in the cipher case by the Supreme Court, was re-arrested outside the Adiala jail on Wednesday.

Footage aired on television and shared by PTI on social media showed the 67-year-old former foreign minister, who was loudly protesting the “illegality” of the police’s actions, being shoved into an armoured police vehicle by an official wearing the Punjab police uniform, Dawn News reported.

In a post on X, the party said Qureshi was again arrested from outside the Adiala jail after being released on bail in the cipher case.

Former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi being mistreated by police officers as he was stating his rights. This is absolutely shameful, disgusting conduct by those who get paid by us! pic.twitter.com/ZVNtnqN0jS

— PTI (@PTIofficial) December 27, 2023

The party said that the order issued on Tuesday by the Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Hasan Waqar Cheema for Qureshi’s 15-day detention had been withdrawn.

Police have not yet commented on the issue.

While being forcibly whisked away by police personnel, the PTI leader kept saying he was being arrested illegally.

Qureshi added that the police were making a mockery of the Supreme Court’s orders and cruelty and injustice were at its peak.

“They are arresting me again in a false case,” he said. “I represent the nation, I am innocent and I am being targeted for political revenge without any reason,” he said.

On Friday, the top court granted bail to former prime minister Imran Khan and his close aide Qureshi in the cipher case and told him 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.

Qureshi’s family on Tuesday arrived at Adiala jail to pay his surety bond but before they could obtain the robkar (release order), Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hassan Waqar Cheema issued an order for the former foreign minister’s 15-day detention under Section 3 of the Maint­en­ance of Public Order (MPO).

Section 3 of MPO empowers the government to arrest and detain suspected persons to prevent them from "acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety or the maintenance of public order".

If necessary the government may "extend from time to time the period of such detention, for a period not exceeding six months at a time”.