Rawalpindi: A local court on Thursday reserved verdict on police's plea seeking physical remand of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in GHQ attack case.
Prosecution lawyer Akram Amin informed duty magistrate Syed Jahangir Ali that Qureshi issued protest call on his social media handle during the riots that broke out following the arrest of the PTI founder Imran Khan in May this year. He pleaded the court for the PTI leader's remand saying that remand up to 90 days can be given in a terrorism case.
Qureshi’s lawyer Malik Imran told the court that there is no word mentioned in the report or in the PTI leader’s speech on the basis of which a case could be filed against his client. He said FIR’s copy was not present in the entire challan.
After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its verdict and later sent Qureshi jail, rejecting police request for 30 days physical remand.
On December 26, Qureshi was detained under Maintenance of Public Order (3-MPO) despite securing bail in the cipher case.
The 15-day detention order had been issued by the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner over Qureshi's alleged involvement in the May 9 riots and the possible adverse repercussions on public safety and law and order situation if he was to be released.
Later, the deputy commissioner withdrew the detention order at Rawalpindi City Police Officer’s request and later the PTI vice chairman was arrested from the Adiala Jail on charges of attack on the GHQ on May 9.
