PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was granted bail in the cipher case by the Supreme Court last week, was manhandled by police officials as they re-arrested him outside the Adiala Jail on Wednesday.

Qureshi was released from jail on bail after the Rawalpindi DC withdrew an order for detaining the ex-former foreign minister for 15 days under Section 3 of the Maint­en­ance of Public Order (MPO).

Police have not yet responded to Dawn.com’s request for a comment regarding the case in which the PTI leader was taken into custody.

In a post on X, the PTI said that Qureshi was again arrested from outside the Adiala Jail after being released on bail in the cipher case. The party said that the order issued yesterday by the Rawalpindi DC had been withdrawn.

Footage shared by the party on Instagram showed Qureshi, clad in a cardigan and a shalwar kameez, attempting to speak to police personnel gathered outside the jail while he remained inside its premises. However, an official wearing the Punjab police uniform refused to listen and proceeded to shove Qureshi out the gate and toward an armoured police vehicle.

“Look at this. What is this?” Qureshi said as he was pushed the entire way to the van while the crowd yelled at officials to be careful.

Qureshi said that police were making a mockery of the Supreme Court’s orders. “They are arresting me again in a false case,” he said.

“I represented the nation, I am innocent and I am being targeted for political revenge without any reason,” he said.

On Friday, the top court had granted bail to former prime minister Imran Khan and his close aide Qureshi in the cipher case and told 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.

Yesterday, Qureshi’s family had arrived at Adiala Jail to pay his surety bond but before they could obtain the robkar (release order), it emerged that Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Hassan Waqar Cheema had issued an order for the former foreign minister’s 15-day detention under Section 3 of the Maint­en­ance of Public Order (MPO).

However, a subsequent notification issued by the DC, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said that the detention order had been withdrawn.

“The detenu shall be released from the jail forthwith, if he is not required to be detained in any other case,” it said.

‘Disgraceful arrest’

The PTI strongly condemned how Qureshi was arrested in a post on social media platform X.

“The disgraceful arrest of Shah Mahmood Qureshi after the Supreme Court granted him bail is a slap on the face of the judiciary and justice system,” the party said.

The party said the state was crossing all limits of brutality and cruelty over its failure to break the bond between Imran Khan and the nation.

“After the announcement of the election schedule, there has been an increase in oppression and fascism against the leadership, candidates and workers of PTI,” it said.

It said Qureshi was one of the party’s main candidates in the forthcoming Feb 8 general election, adding that attempts were being made to keep him out of the election race.

It termed the deputy commissioner’s detention order a clear violation of the Supreme Court’s decision regarding a level playing field for all political parties. The party held the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) responsible for the atrocities being carried out against PTI by the “unconstitutional, illegal and undemocratic caretaker governments”.

The PTI urged the chief justice of Pakistan to take notice of abuse of power and issue orders for Qureshi’s recovery and release.

In a video shared by the PTI, party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan requested the judiciary and Supreme Court to look into the matter. “You granted [Qureshi] bail on the grounds that he is a senior politician who needs to contest the elections,” Khan said.

“And for elections to be free and fair and transparent, it is necessary that all people participate,” he said.

“Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been arrested and rearrested like this multiple times before,” Gohar said, adding that such arrests had an impact on the elections.

Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail later in the day, Gohar said, “If the Supreme Court granted bail to Qureshi on the basis that elections need to be free and fair and transparent, then the ECP needs to make sure he is released.”

He said the party would approach the ECP and the high court if necessary.

“I also told the ECP that it would have been very good if they personally went out today and surveyed what was happening in various locations,” Gohar said, adding that he would submit an application to them.

PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub also strongly condemned the manner of Qureshi’s arrest and termed the police actions as “sheer thuggery”.

PTI Senior Vice President Sher Afzal Marwat said that “ending cruelty requires active resistance and advocacy” and called on supporters to use the ballot to “make a difference by standing up for what’s right”.

President Dr Arif Alvi also apparently addressed the incident and said the treatment meted out to a former foreign minister “in an undignified manner must draw the attention of the authorities”.

ECP moved against ‘unlawful abduction’

Qureshi’s daughter Meher Bano later filed an application in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against the “unlawful abduction” of her father.

In an application to the chief election commissioner (CEC), a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, she said it was unfortunate that the ECP had not taken notice of the issue or taken action against the Rawalpindi administration and police even after today’s news being widely reported.

Meher Bano said the ECP’s “silence” on the issue was in breach of the CEC’s responsibilities to hold free and fair elections.

“This morning, we went to Adiala Jail for securing Mr Qureshi’s release and for attending the scheduled hearing of the special court. However, upon arrival we noticed an armoured vehicle and heavy police deployment outside the exit/release gate of Adiala Jail,” the application said about today’s incident.

It said Qureshi’s family witnessed him being “pushed and dragged into an armoured vehicle before he was moved to an unknown location.

“I was present there with my mother, sister and Mr Qureshi’s three sisters and we all witnessed the unlawful and despicable manner in which the former foreign minister was treated in front of his family, his lawyers and the media representatives.”

The application said that all of this happened during the period of the published election programme and was tantamount to “denying the largest political party of the country … a ‘level playing field’.”

“We expect that the ECP will fulfil its constitutional responsibilities and ensure the safety and release of Mr Qureshi tonight,” the application concluded.