Shah Mahmood Qureshi once again arrested outside Adiala Jail

RAWALPINDI: Vice Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday was once again arrested outside Adiala Jail by Punjab police.

This arrest followed his release on bail in the cipher case. The decision to release him came after the police requested the termination of the 15-day detention orders, issued under 3-MPO (Maintenance of Public Order).

Earlier, RA Bazaar police had arrested the former foreign minister in connection with a case related to an attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ). Subsequently, Shah Mahmood Qureshi was detained for 15 days in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail under 3-MPO.

The cipher case revolves around a piece of paper that Imran Khan presented at a public rally on March 27, 2022, just before a vote of confidence in which he was defeated. Alleging an “international conspiracy” against his government and pointing fingers at the United States, the former prime minister claimed that the cipher was crucial evidence.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who was the foreign minister at the time, was formally charged in connection with this case on October 23.

The case originated from allegations made by Imran Khan’s then-principal secretary, Azam Khan, who asserted that the former prime minister utilized a US cipher for his “political gains” and to thwart a no-confidence motion against him.