A court in Rawalpindi rejected an appeal for former Pakistan foreign minister and ex-PM Imran Khan's close aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi's police remand and sent him to 14-day judicial remand on Thursday in a fresh case related to the violent May 9 riots. The police had appealed for Qureshi's 30-day police remand, Dawn reported.
This came after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman was rearrested on Wednesday and was manhandled by police officials outside the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. The PTI second-in-command was also implicated in a dozen similar cases.
Qureshi, along with Imran, was imprisoned in Adiala Jail in the cipher case, which pertains to the ex-Prime Minister brandishing a document alleging that it contains US involvement behind his ouster from power in 2022. They secured bail on Friday as the Supreme Court accepted their pleas and were directed to submit surety bonds worth Rs 1 million each.
The ex-foreign minister was presented before the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Syed Jahangir Ali and a video posted on social media showed policemen escorting a hand-cuffed Qureshi.
Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hassan Waqar Cheema issued an order for the ex-foreign minister's 15-day detention before his family could obtain his release order under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.
Qureshi's allegations against police
Protesting against his arrest, Qureshi told the court, "How am I a threat to the public? I have been in jail for several months." He also alleged that he had been detained from inside Adiala Jail illegally, highlighting that he had been a member of the Parliament five times.
The PTI leader accused the police of kicking and ridiculing him repeatedly and he was denied permission to be taken to a doctor despite experiencing chest pains. He also alleged that he was kept in a cold cell last night and wasn’t allowed to sleep. “I was tortured mentally and physically,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor sought a three-day physical remand of Qureshi. He argued that remand in terrorism cases could be taken for even 90 days, adding that he had reports from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.
“We are not saying that Qureshi was among those who attacked GHQ … we are saying he made a speech that led to the GHQ attack," said Prosecutor Akram Amin. At one point, Qureshi became emotional and said he had fought for the country’s institutions in the world. “Is this justice?” he asked, after which the judge ordered the police to remove his handcuffs.
Meanwhile, Qureshi's daughter Meher Bano Qureshi expressed displeasure at the security arrangement made outside the court. “It seems as if they are presenting a terrorist,” she said.
Qureshi is among several PTI leaders against whom such detention orders have been issued for their alleged involvement in the violent May 9 riots, when Imran's supporters clashed with the police and vandalised military installations across the country after his arrest.
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