Court sends Qureshi on 14-day judicial remand

A local court in Rawalpindi on Thursday sent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi on a 14-day judicial remand in a case pertaining to the May 9 riots. The court, presided by Duty Additional District and Sessions Judge Syed Jahangir Ali, had earlier reserved its decision on a police request seeking physical remand of the former foreign minister.

During the hearing earlier today, Qureshi informed the court that he was "tortured" by the authorities in prison last night.
Qureshi was briefly released and then re-arrested by police from Adiala jail on Wednesday. Footage of the incident, widely circulated on social media, depicts policemen forcefully ushering the PTI leader towards an armoured vehicle.

On Thursday, he was brought to court under a heavy police escort, with a video shared by PTI on its social media page showing the former minister handcuffed while walking towards the courtroom. However, when he reached the courtroom, the judge asked the police to remove his handcuffs.

As the hearing commenced today, Qureshi requested the court to record his statement first. He said that the apex court had granted him bail but before he could obtain his release order, it emerged that he was to be detained under 3 MPO. He questioned how could he be a threat to the public if he was incarcerated for many months.

The former minister said he had been detained from Adiala jail illegally and police officials had kicked and ridiculed him. He added that despite repeated requests that he be taken to a doctor, he was not provided medical assistance. Qureshi further said that he was approached by a team to record his statement about the riots that occurred on May 9. "I was in Karachi on May 9," he said adding that his wife was undergoing surgery on the day.

Narrating the treatment allegedly meted out to him, Qureshi said he was kept in a cold cell overnight, with only a candle for illumination and was not allowed to sleep. "I was tortured physically and mentally." The prosecutor requested the court for a three-day physical remand of the former foreign minister and argued that remand in cases with terrorism provisions allow a remand for even 90 days.

Read Imran, Qureshi get bail in cipher case

He added that he also had reports from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pemra. The prosecution claimed that they had found evidence against Qureshi and the same was also collected from social media. Referring to the PTI leader's speech on May 9, the prosecutor alleged that although Qureshi was not among those who attacked the GHQ, but his speech led to the attack.

He further stated that during Qureshi's physical remand, the police would further investigate Qureshi's role and sought the PTI leader's custody till January 2 However, Qureshi's counsel Ali Bukhari argued that his client should be discharged from the case. "The prosecution just has a single tweet against my client," he maintained. Bukhari maintained that Qureshi was kept in "unlawful custody for 24 hours".

Read Qureshi released, re-arrested, manhandled

The counsel said that the purpose of the physical remand was to "torture" his client and maintained that punishments could not be given in supplementary cases, adding that Qureshi's name was not written on the charge sheet by the police. On Dec 22, a three-member Supreme Court bench granted bail to Qureshi and PTI founder Imran Khan in a case concerning the alleged misuse of a diplomatic cypher during the latter part of the PTI’s rule.

Qureshi had previously served as the foreign minister in former prime minister Imran’s cabinet. Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema, on December 25, issued an executive order under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance to detain Qureshi for 15 days. Curiously, the deputy commissioner rescinded that order on Wednesday morning, leading to the PTI leader's release from prison by jail authorities.

However, a substantial police and Elite Force presence was already assembled outside the prison when the former foreign minister was set free. Moments before his re-arrest, Qureshi addressed the media, asserting that although the Supreme Court granted him bail, he was being unlawfully detained once more. "This is an injustice against me; I am being targeted for political vengeance," he stated.