Former Foreign Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi was arrested in Islamabad on Saturday, August 19, 2023.
Qureshi was arrested by the Islamabad police from his residence in the capital. He was taken to the Kohsar police station for questioning.
The arrest comes days after Qureshi was released from jail on bail in a case related to the May 2023 protests by PTI workers.
Qureshi is the latest PTI leader to be arrested by the government. In recent weeks, the government has arrested several PTI leaders, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan, on charges of inciting violence and sedition.
The PTI has condemned the arrests, calling them politically motivated. The party has also accused the government of using the police to suppress dissent.
Qureshi’s arrest is likely to further escalate the political tensions in Pakistan. The PTI has called for nationwide protests against the arrests.
The government has defended the arrests, saying that they are necessary to maintain law and order.
The situation in Pakistan remains fluid and it is unclear how the arrests will play out. However, it is clear that the political crisis in the country is deepening.
Background
Shah Mahmood Qureshi is a Pakistani politician who has served as the Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) since 2018. He is a former Foreign Minister of Pakistan, having served in that position from 2018 to 2022.
Qureshi was born in 1956 in Multan, Pakistan. He studied law at the University of the Punjab and then worked as a lawyer. He entered politics in the early 1990s and joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). He served as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in the PPP government from 1993 to 1996.
In 2002, Qureshi joined the PTI and was elected to the National Assembly. He served as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly from 2013 to 2018.
In 2018, Qureshi was appointed Foreign Minister by Prime Minister Imran Khan. He served in that position until 2022.
Qureshi is a popular figure in Pakistan and is seen as a potential future leader of the PTI. He is known for his strongoratory skills and his ability to connect with the masses.
Reactions to the arrest
The arrest of Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been met with widespread condemnation from the PTI and its supporters. The party has called for nationwide protests against the arrests.
Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has said that the arrests are “a blatant attempt to suppress dissent”. He has called on the international community to take notice of the situation in Pakistan.
The United States has expressed concern about the arrests and has called for the release of all political prisoners.
The European Union has also expressed concern about the arrests and has called for the respect for human rights in Pakistan.
The arrests of Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other PTI leaders have further deepened the political crisis in Pakistan. The situation remains fluid and it is unclear how the crisis will be resolved.
