PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was detained at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail on Tuesday for 15 days under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance.

The section grants the government powers for preventative detention.

Qureshi, along with PTI chief Imran Khan, are currently incarcerated in Adiala jail in the cipher case. The case pertains to a diplomatic document that the Federal Investigation Agency’s charge sheet alleges was never returned by Imran. The PTI has long held that the document contained a threat from the United States to oust Imran as prime minister.

The former premier and ex-foreign minister were granted bail in the case last week and directed to submit surety bonds worth Rs1 million each. Qureshi’s daughter had said she expected her father would be released as his arrest was not required in any other case.

A hearing for the case took place today and was subsequently adjourned till tomorrow.

Qureshi’s family arrived to pay his surety bond but before they could obtain the robkar (release order), it emerged that Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hassan Waqar Cheema issued an order today for the former foreign minister’s 15-day detention under the MPO.

The robkar was later issued by Special Court Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain who is hearing the cipher case.

Section 3 of MPO empowers the government to arrest and detain suspected persons. It states: “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 order, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said the Rawalpindi city police officer (CPO) had intimated via letter that Qureshi was a member of a political party which was involved in anti-state activities and caused damage to public and private property.

It added that the letter said it was “probable that after his release from jail, he will again continue his above activities and which may lead to law and order situation, harmful to life and property of general public.”

The letter said the Rawalpindi CPO recommended that Qureshi be detained for 45 days to prevent him from his “unlawful activities and acting in a manner prejudicial to the public safety or the maintenance of public order”.

The letter added the Rawalpindi District Intelligence Committee had also endorsed the police department’s stance and agreed to Qureshi’s detention.

Thus, DC Cheema said he was satisfied that Qureshi’s “detention is necessary and expedient in public interest” to prevent him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the public safety or the maintenance of public order.

The order added that Qureshi had the right to appeal to the Punjab government against the order.

His daughter, Meher Bano Qureshi, said the process for her father’s release on bail in the cipher case was his legal right and the family would continue to pursue it.

Qureshi’s lawyer Barrister Taimur Malik said his team would avail all available legal remedies.

He criticised the MPO order as not being “worth the paper it is written on”.