Ali Muhammad Khan, Shehryar Afridi put behind bars again after release

Two Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and close aides of the party chairman Imran Khan — Ali Muhammad Khan and Shehryar Afridi — were rearrested shortly after being released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Tuesday.      

Afridi along with his wife was picked up on May 16 from his residence in Islamabad under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance 1960, which enables the government to arrest persons “acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety”.

The couple was apprehended after violent protests, triggered by the arrest of PTI chairman Imran Khan from the IHC in the Al-Qadir Trust case on May 9, erupted in almost across the country.

During the days-long protests, which ended only after Khan's release, enraged PTI workers allegedly attacked private and public properties, including military installations — the Lahore Corps Commander's House or Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) entrance. At least eight people lost their lives during the violent protests.

Afridi's wife, however, was released later on the orders of the IHC.

Soon after the former interior minister's release from the jail, police officials again took him into custody and transported him to an undisclosed location.

According to the jail administration, Afridi was released on completion of his “house arrest” period under the MPO.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner has extended Afridi’s house arrest under MPO for another 15 days.

Ali Muhammad was arrested on May 11 when he was heading towards the Supreme Court (SC), where the hearing against Imran Khan’s arrest was underway.

According to the Islamabad police, the PTI leader was taken into custody under Section 3 of the MPO.

The ICT police officials confirmed that the PTI leader was taken into custody by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) police under Section 3 of MPO.

Confirming the report about his detention today, the PTI official twitter handle said that Khan was re-arrested for the third time since he was taken into custody by the police on May 11.