Tag: IK

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi claimed to have endured mental and physical torture during his incarceration.

The former Foreign Minister appeared before Duty Magistrate Syed Jahangir Ali in the GHQ attack case, asserting that he was subjected to harsh conditions, both mentally and physically, and exposed to severe cold weather while in jail.

During the court session, he insisted on recording his statement in the presence of his counsel, expressing dissatisfaction with the police’s attempt to obtain his statement without legal representation as per Geo News.

The former foreign minister said he was being treated in jail for the past several months in the same manner. “Is this justice? I am tortured,” he asked.

Qureshi said he will swear on the Holy Quran that he was not present in Rawalpindi on May 9 and instead, he was in Karachi that day.

“I was with my wife in the Aga Khan Hospital. Get the record from PEMRA, I was present in Karachi,” said Qureshi.

Qureshi, who had previously been granted bail by three Supreme Court judges, questioned the justice system, highlighting the fluctuating circumstances of his arrest and release.

He said that he was arrested under Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) 3.

“One night I am arrested and in the morning I am told that I am being released. When I asked what made it happen, they replied there is a loophole in the case,” he said.

Qureshi said he was ordered to be arrested on December 26 then the date was changed to 27. He was within the jail’s premises when Punjab police arrived to arrest him, he said.

“I have been a member of the assembly for five times. SHO Ashfaq tortured me. He kicked and punched me,” he said. He said he felt pain in his chest for which he was begged the superintendent police for hours to take him to hospital.

“A doctor was called who was carrying just a blood pressure checking machine,” he added.

Earlier, the Rawalpindi Police reportedly barred journalists from entering the judicial complex, citing a ban on media coverage of the GHQ attack case against Qureshi.

His legal counsel expressed concern over the restriction, questioning the nature of an in-camera trial with limited media access.

Qureshi’s daughter, Meher Bano Qureshi, filed a petition with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against what she termed the “unlawful abduction” of her father, as per Geo News.

Meherbano stated in the petition that Qureshi had been granted bail by the Supreme Court, and referred to the remark of Justice Athar Minallah, who stated: “The incarceration of the petitioners will not serve any useful purpose.

Moreover, their release on bail during the period of elections would ensure ‘genuine elections and thus enable the people to exercise the right to express their will effectively and meaningfully.”

The PTI vice chairman’s recent arrest, just after securing bail in a cipher case, raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his detention.

President Arif Alvi also weighed in, calling on authorities to address the alleged mistreatment of Qureshi and uphold human rights and dignity.

“We must not become a state where human rights and dignity are violated without fear. Authorities must pay attention to the confiscation of documents, the brutal action against the protesters, and now the indecent treatment of the former foreign minister by two governments,” Alvi wrote on X (former Twitter).

The arrest is linked to cases related to the May 9 riots following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan. Qureshi is implicated in a GHQ attack case and is expected to appear in an anti-terrorism court (ATC) for further proceedings.

A National Accountability Bureau (NAB) team, comprising of four members, conducted a thorough investigation at Adiala Jail, where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan is currently detained in connection with a £190 million scandal, as per Geo News.

The team, which included Mian Umer Nadim, Asim Munir, and Prosecutors Rooh ul Amin, and Haroon Baloch, spent over two hours scrutinizing the jail premises.

After approximately one and a half hours of investigation, the team concluded its inspection and left the jail premises.

The team will interrogate Khan for three days.

Bail Rejected

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has recently rejected the post-arrest bail petition of former Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the cipher case, directing the trial court to conclude proceedings within four weeks.

The case accuses him, along with Imran Khan, of “unauthorisedly” communicating the contents of a classified document received from Washington, with unauthorised people i.e. the public at large.

It is also alleged that Qureshi and Khan had a meeting on March 28, 2022 at Banigala, Islamabad, where a conspiracy was hatched to divulge the contents of the cipher for political advantage.

The Chief Justice observed that the charges against Qureshi are punishable by death, and if proven, bail relief is typically avoided in such grave cases.

Qureshi’s counsel argued that there was no evidence proving that Qureshi divulged classified information to the public. The trial of Qureshi and Imran Khan is currently taking place in Central Jail Adiala, Rawalpindi, as notified on October 3.

However, the counsel argued that the notification did not mention Qureshi’s name.

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) special prosecutor countered by stating that Qureshi had aided, abetted, and incited Imran Khan, making him liable under Section 9 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

The prosecution emphasized that charges had been framed, and three witnesses had already given their evidence.

Justice Farooq observed that under Section 109 of the Pakistan Penal Code, liability of the person, who abets the commission of offence, is that of a principal offender.

The court order stated, “Undoubtedly, bail ought not to be held as punishment but where sentence involved is death or life imprisonment, the court has to proceed with caution; in this regard, the balance is to be maintained that liberty of a person ought not be compromised but gravity of charge or allegation is also to be kept in view.”

Subsequently, the court dismissed the bail petition, but directed the Special Court (Official Secrets Act) “to conclude the trial within four weeks from the date of receipt of this order”.

Toshakhana Case

In a related development, an IHC division bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri restored Imran Khan’s petition seeking bail in the Toshakhana case.

Khan’s bail petition was dismissed by the accountability court for non-prosecution.

The court revived the bail petition with a direction to hear Mr Khan’s arguments and decide it on merit.

The bench, however, dismissed Mr Khan’s identical petition seeking bail in the 190 million pounds corruption case for being infructuous as NAB has already arrested the ex-premier in this case.

The cases

The former prime minister is currently being held in Adiala Jail after his arrest from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on August 5.

He was moved to the prison on September 26 from Attock Jail where he was initially kept after his arrest.

Khan was first convicted by a lower court in the Toshakhana case in August and sentenced to three years of imprisonment. The IHC suspended his sentence the same month.

The Islamabad accountability court issued arrest warrants for PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana and 190 million Al-Qadir Trust cases on Tuesday.

Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9 for the first time.

The 190 million (approximately Rs60 billion) settlement case pertains to the money of property tycoon, Malik Riaz, being laundered and caught by the UK authorities during Imran’s government in 2019.

The UK government had informed the Pakistani authorities regarding the money being caught.

The former premier is already in prison as he was subsequently booked in the ‘cipher’ case.

In the cipher case, Khan, along with his close aide and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has been accused of leaking state secrets.

In a notable development, Bushra Bibi, former First Lady, and the wife of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, has submitted a request to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking permission for a solitary meeting with her husband, reported Geo News.

The request filed by Bushra Bibi in the IHC emphasises the legal constraints that hinder private interactions on domestic matters.

The application states that the court has granted permission for meetings with Chairman PTI every Tuesday.

It further states that discussions on personal matters are challenging in the presence of prison officials. 

Bushra Bibi, in her plea, implores the court to issue specific instructions to the Superintendent of Adiala Jail, ensuring that solitary meetings are facilitated in accordance with legal provisions.

The former prime minister is currently being held in Adiala Jail after his arrest from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on August 5.

He was moved to the prison on September 26 from Attock Jail where he was initially kept after his arrest.

Khan was first convicted by a lower court in the Toshakhana case in August and sentenced to three years of imprisonment. The IHC suspended his sentence the same month.

The Islamabad accountability court issued arrest warrants for PTI Chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana and £ 190 million Al-Qadir Trust cases on Tuesday.

Khan was arrested in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9 for the first time.

The £ 190 million (approximately Rs60 billion) settlement case pertains to the money of property tycoon, Malik Riaz, being laundered and caught by the UK authorities during Imran’s government in 2019. 

The UK government had informed the Pakistani authorities regarding the money being caught.

The former premier is already in prison as he was subsequently booked in the ‘cipher’ case.

In the cipher case, Khan, along with his close aide and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, has been accused of leaking state secrets.