Islamabad: PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been arrested in Islamabad, claimed his party on X, formerly Twitter.
“PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi has been illegally arrested once again,” the social media post on the party’s account said, adding that he was taken into custody by a large contingent of police from his residence in the federal capital.
According to the PTI, Qureshi was being taken to the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) headquarters.
The FIA is currently interrogating incarcerated PTI chief Imran Khan in a case related to a diplomatic cable that reportedly went missing from his custody and which he has for long presented as evidence of a “foreign conspiracy” to remove him as the prime minister.
According to PTI General Secretary Omar Ayub, Qureshi was taken into custody just as he reached home after addressing a press conference, during which he confirmed that he had met foreign ambassadors recently.
Ayub condemned Qureshi’s arrest, saying: “Had hoped that the reign of lawlessness would have ended after the exit of the fascist PDM government, but it appears that this caretaker government wants to break the records of their predecessor fascist government.”
Qureshi’s press conference
Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad alongside other PTI leaders earlier today, Qureshi confirmed that he had a breakfast meeting with the Australian high commissioner in Islamabad, adding that other important ambassadors were present on the occasion as well.
He said the PTI presented its stance on the current political situation during the meeting and raised its concerns about the security situation.
“We had a good conversation, which was presented in the media as if it centred on Imran’s release,” he said, refuting reports of the PTI chief’s release of the matter of the diplomatic cipher being discussed in the meeting.
The PTI leaders also dismissed media reports of a further split within what’s left of the party’s top leadership.
A Geo News report claimed that following the PTI chief’s August 5 arrest in the Toshakhana case, the party’s core committee saw another split as well as infighting, with both Vice Chairman Qureshi and Secretary General Ayub allegedly attempting to succeed Imran as the party chief.
Qureshi addressed the claim and remarked that “a media house had attempted to spread confusion.”
Lauding the party’s core committee and legal team for the conditions and difficult circumstances they were operating in, Qureshi said: “Such news [of further rifts] is concocted, a plan of disinformation and part of a scheme to create confusion in the party rank and file and to affect their minds.
“There is no truth to this and it will break down in due time.”
Qureshi said the claim being made about him and Ayub trying to take over the party had “no truth to it”. He said Ayub had immediately responded to the allegation with a post on X, and “negated that confusion with great understanding”.
He also ridiculed any notion of a leadership struggle within the party, saying that Imran was still the chairman and the core committee had passed a resolution affirming the same.
