Qureshi detained for 15 days

Despite the recent relief by the superior courts, troubles are far from over for the beleaguered PTI as its vice chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, on Tuesday was detained at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for 15 days under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.

The development comes days after the Supreme Court granted bail to former premier Imran Khan and Qureshi in the cipher case on surety bonds worth Rs1 million each.

However, both leaders were not released immediately due to their involvement in other ongoing cases.

Qureshi’s daughter expected her father to be set free on Tuesday as she said he was not wanted in any other case but just as his family reached there to pay the surety bond and before it could acquire his release order, it found out that he had been detained for 15 days.

Qureshi’s fresh detention order was issued by Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema.

It read that the PTI leader’s release might pose a threat to peace and security as he was involved in the attack on the GHQ gate during the May 9 riots earlier this year.

It mentioned that the city’s police chief in a letter had proposed a 45-day detention period on the recommendation of the relevant SHO.

In his letter, the Rawalpindi police chief wrote that Qureshi was a member of a political party, which was involved in anti-state activities and caused damage to public and private property.

Read SC grants Imran, Qureshi bail in cypher case

The letter added that it was “probable that after his [Qureshi’s] release from jail, he will again continue his above activities and which may lead to law and order situation, harmful to life and property of general public”.

It continued that the district intelligence committee had also concurred with the assessments of the police and security authorities.

The Rawalpindi deputy commissioner wrote in the order that he was satisfied that Qureshi’s detention was necessary and “expedient in public interest” to prevent him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the public safety or the maintenance of public order.

While granting Qureshi the right to appeal, the order detained Qureshi at Adiala Jail for 15 days.

Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain, who is hearing the cipher case, later issued the release order but by then it was too late for the PTI leader.

The cipher case pertains to a piece of paper that Imran had waved at a public rally on March 27, 2022, ahead of a vote of confidence that he lost. The former prime minister, later naming the US, had claimed that the diplomatic cipher was “evidence” of an “international conspiracy” to topple his government.

Qureshi was serving as the foreign minister at that time and was indicted in the case on October 23.
Section 3 of the MPO empowers the government to arrest and detain suspected people.

It reads: “[The] government, if satisfied that with a view to preventing any person from acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety or the maintenance of public order, it is necessary so to do, may, by an order in writing, direct the arrest and detention in … custody  … and the government, if satisfied that for the aforesaid reasons it is necessary so to do, may, extend from time to time the period of such detention, for a period not exceeding six months at a time.”