MARDAN/SWABI: The police took former National Assembly speaker and central PTI leader Asad Qaiser into custody again in Swabi district on Saturday under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance after a local court granted him bail in a case pertaining to the May 9 violent protests.

Mr Qaiser was re-arrested a few days ago by Mardan police in a case wherein the party workers and leaders were charged with ransacking a medical store during a violent protest in Mardan on May 9.

Judicial magistrate in Mardan Adil Misal granted bail to Mr Qaiser on condition of furnishing two surety bonds of Rs90,000 each.

On Dec 7, the Peshawar High Court had directed the government not to act until Nov 29 against the former NA speaker and some other PTI leaders in all cases registered against them.

Swabi DC orders Qaiser’s detention for 30 days under MPO

The directions came over a petition of Mr Qaiser seeking details of the cases and inquiries pending against him.

However, Swabi deputy commissioner Tariqullah ordered 30 days detention for the former NA speaker on Dec 8 under Section 3 of the MPO Ordinance.

In the order, he said, “On the report of the Swabi district police officer, it was thoroughly discussed and decided in the District Intelligence Coordination Committee meeting on Dec 8 that Mr Asad Qaiser be arrested under Section 3(1) of the MPO Ordinance, 1960, as he is disturbing the peace and tranquility of the district and thus, his presence [in the district] is prejudicial to good order.”

The DC ordered the district police to arrest Mr Qaiser and shift him to Mardan Central Prison for 30 days.

Mr Qaiser’s brother, Abdul Waheed Khan, his relatives, PTI provincial vice-president Zahir Shah Toru and a large number of party workers were present outside the Mardan jail to receive Mr Qaiser.

However, their leader was re-arrested under the MPO for their dismay.

Members of the PTI’s legal team Riaz Khan Paindakhel and Nadeem Shah told reporters that they would challenge Mr Qaiser detention order in the Peshawar High Court on Monday (Dec 11).

They were hopeful that he would be granted interim bail by the court as the order of the DC was based on malafide.

Mr Qaiser was initially arrested by law-enforcement agencies in Islamabad from his residence in Banigala on Nov 3 in connection with a case registered by the ACE at its police station in Swabi.

He was later handed over to the ACE, which charged him and some other people with committing irregularities during purchase of equipment for Gajju Khan Medical College, Swabi.

Mr Qaiser was granted bail by the special anti-corruption court but he was re-arrested by Charsadda police in a case pertaining to the May 9 violence in the district.

Until now, he has been arrested five times.

Meanwhile, a high court bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim has appointed senior lawyers Shabbir Hussain Gigyani and Barrister Amir Khan Chamkani as amicus curiae on legal points in petitions of Mr Qaiser, another former MNA Mujahid Khan and some other PTI leaders.

In the petitions, the PTI leaders sought the court’s orders for the provincial government and law-enforcement agencies, including police, ACE, Federal Investigation Agency and National Accountability Bureau, to share details of the cases and inquiries pending against them.

On Dec 7, the bench raised a legal point that if a suspect named in multiple cases was arrested, the arrest would be in a particular case or in all cases.

It also wondered whether an accused in multiple cases would be “re-arrested multiple times.”

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2023