- Imran Khan’s Aide Rearrested in Rawalpindi Shortly After Release
Police in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, have re-arrested Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a close aide to former Prime Minister Imran Khan, immediately after his release from prison. Qureshi, a former foreign minister and vice-chairman of Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, was granted bail by the country’s top court last week in a high-profile case related to charges of leaking state secrets.
The case involves alleged diplomatic correspondence between Washington and Islamabad, which Khan claims is evidence of a US conspiracy to remove him from the premiership through a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in April 2022. The US has consistently denied these accusations.
Qureshi had initially been detained for 15 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) law, but the PTI claimed the instruction was later rescinded. The party condemned the arrest on social media, alleging that its leaders are being intentionally targeted by the state to eliminate the PTI from the political landscape ahead of the upcoming general elections in February.
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As Qureshi was taken to a prison van, he proclaimed his innocence in all cases against him and criticized the arrest as political revenge, despite the Supreme Court’s recent order granting him bail. The arrest is reportedly related to the violence that erupted on May 9 when Imran Khan was briefly arrested on graft charges, leading to protests and unrest in various parts of Pakistan.
The PTI has accused the state of violating basic constitutional rights and turning the law into a tool for political suppression. The party has also raised concerns about difficulties in filing nomination papers in different parts of Pakistan, calling for a level playing field in the run-up to the national polls.
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