“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 headquarters.
Earlier, Qureshi had told reporters that the party would challenge any delay in the country’s election, which is to be held within 90 days of parliament being dissolved, which in this case means early November.
Qureshi’s arrest comes two months after his release in a case pertaining to May 9 protests, which erupted following the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan in a graft case. He was incarcerated for nearly a month on multiple charges, including “inciting violent protests”.
On May 18, the Islamabad High Court had ordered the former foreign minister’s release. However, his release was delayed due to his apparent reluctance to provide an undertaking to refrain from engaging in “unruly” protests.
He was eventually released on June 6 after Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench ordered his immediate release and set aside his detention orders.