Shah Mahmood Qureshi detained under 3-MPO for 15 days

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice chairman, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has been detained in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail for 15 days despite securing bail in the cipher case, ARY News reported on Tuesday.  

The directives, issued by Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner under the Maintenance of Public Order (3-MPO), stated that Qureshi’s release may pose a threat to peace and security.

The order alleged that Shah Mahmood Qureshi was involved in instigating violence in the May 9 riots, wherein military installations were attacked, and that his release might endanger public safety.

It mentioned that the city police officer (CPO) suggested a 45-day detention on the report of the station house officer (SHO) concerned. The district intelligence committee also concurred with the assessments of the police and security authorities.

While granting the former foreign minister the right to appeal, the order detained Qureshi in the Adiala Jail for 15 days.

The detention comes days after the Supreme Court (SC) granted bail to former prime minister Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the cipher case.

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

The cipher case

The cipher case pertains to a piece of paper that Imran Khan 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 cipher was ‘evidence’ of an “international conspiracy” to topple his government.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi was serving as the foreign minister at that time and was indicted in the case on October 23.

The case was registered after Imran Khan’s then-principal secretary, Azam Khan claimed that the former PM used US cipher for  ‘political gains’ and to avert a no-confidence motion against him.

Azam Khan, who had earlier been “missing” since months, suddenly appeared before the scene and made startling claims about US cipher, while recording his statement under the CrPC 164 before a magistrate.

The statement said that upon seeing the cipher, Imran Khan was euphoric and termed the language “the US’s blunder”. Imran Khan was also accused of telling Azam Khan that cipher can be used to divert the general public’s attention towards foreign involvement in a no-confidence motion by the opposition, it says, adding that thereafter, Imran Khan asked Azam Khan to hand over the cipher to him, which he did.