Shah Mahmood Qureshi along with Imran, is incarcerated in Adiala jail in the cipher case and was anticipated to be released today after securing bail. However, Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hassan Waqar Cheema issued an order for the ex-foreign minister’s 15-day detention before his release order. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, vice-chairman of former prime minister Imran Khan’s party, has been subjected to a detention under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law, an official stated, despite securing bail in the state secrets case.
Qureshi, a former foreign minister, is presently held at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail alongside Khan. The case against both of them revolves around an alleged diplomatic exchange between Washington and Islamabad. Khan asserts that the correspondence serves as evidence that his removal as PM in an April 2022 parliamentary vote of no-confidence was part of a US conspiracy. Washington has consistently refuted Khan’s accusation.
Weeks prior to his removal, Khan brandished the letter to a crowd at a public rally last year. He later disclosed the sender country to be the US, asserting that the secret diplomatic letter warned of severe consequences if he continued to strengthen ties with Russia. The former Pakistani government, under Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership, argued that Khan’s actions constituted the leakage of state secrets and their exploitation for political advantage.
Last week, the Supreme Court of Pakistan granted bail to Khan, who is presently serving a three-year sentence in a separate graft case, and Qureshi in the state secrets case. The former foreign minister was expected to be released on Tuesday. However, the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner issued a detention order to “avoid any likelihood of a breach of peace” in the district. This decision was based on Qureshi’s alleged involvement in violent protests against Khan’s brief arrest on May 9.
“Accused Shah Mehmood Qureshi… being a member of a political party was involved in instigating/planning to organize unlawful assembly/commit violence, deliver unlawful speeches to cause damage to human life and public/private properties. He also incited the public to commit violence/damage public/private properties including GHQ Rawalpindi,” stated Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema in the detention order, referring to a letter from the Saddar Beroni police station in-charge.
“It is probable that after his release from the jail he will again continue his above activities and which may lead to law & order situation, harmful to life and property of general public,” the letter continued.
Khan’s arrest in May triggered violent demonstrations in the South Asian country, leading to his supporters ransacking government and military installations and torching public property. The attacks prompted authorities to crack down, resulting in the arrest of numerous Khan supporters and members of his party, as reported.
The Rawalpindi deputy commissioner issued detention orders for Qureshi under section 3 of the MPO, granting the government authority to arrest and detain individuals suspected of acting against public safety.
“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 to do, may, by an order in writing, direct the arrest and detention in such 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,” the section read.
The detention order for Qureshi is a setback for Khan’s PTI party, which had anticipated his release as it could have provided a significant boost to the party before the upcoming national elections scheduled for February 8.
Khan, maintaining his innocence and asserting that the charges against him are “politically motivated,” has accused Pakistan’s influential military, the caretaker government, and his political rivals of colluding to prevent him and his party from participating in the elections. All three entities have denied the allegations, as reported by Arab News.
