RAWALPINDI: Two leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Shehryar Khan Afridi and Ali Mohammad Khan, were re-arrested by police on Tuesday under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, soon after their release from prison.

Mr Afridi was taken into custody by Rawalpindi police, while Mr Khan was arrested by KP police.

Mr Afridi was first arrested on May 16 from his Islamabad residence under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, which enables the government to arrest any person under this ordinance.

The re-arrest of the PTI leader by the Rawalpindi police came in the wake of deputy commissioner’s orders after the authority was informed by the City Police Officer that accused Shehryar Khan Afridi, son of Haji Nadir Shah Afridi, a resident of Hangu Road, district Kohat, was a member of a political organisation and he was instigating/planning to organise unlawful assembly/commit violence, deliver unlawful speeches to cause damage to human life and public/private properties.

Former adviser to KP chief minister Ahmad Hussain Shah quits party

The CPO recommended that in order to prevent him from his unlawful activities and acting in a manner prejudicial to the public safety or the maintenance of public order, he may be detained under Section 3 of MPO Ordinance, 1960, for a period of 45 days in the public interest.

Hassan Waqar Cheema, deputy commissioner of Rawalpindi, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him, ordered detention of accused Shehryar Afridi for 15 days from the date of his entrance in central jail, Rawalpindi, to avoid any likelihood of breach of peace/unlawful assembly in the district.

Mr Ali Mohammad Khan was also re-arrested by KP police after his release was ordered by the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench, on Tuesday. The KP police took him to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

This is the third time that Mr Khan was re-arrested by the police under Section 3 of MPO Ordinance, 1960.

Former KP adviser quits PTI

Also on Tuesday, former adviser to KP chief minister, Ahmad Hussain Shah, quit the PTI.

“I am Pakistan army’s retired officer and being an ex-soldier, I cannot tolerate what had happened with this country on May 9, the darkest day of our history and, therefore, quit the PTI in protest,” Mr Shah told a presser at Mansehra Press Club.

Mr Shah said any conspiracy against the armed forces would be a conspiracy against Pakistan. He said he had yet to decide his future course of action in politics after holding a jirga with voters, locals and family elders. “I have been in jail for the last 16 days and, therefore, unaware of the situation developing in the country after May 9 violence, and will decide whether to join a party that would be launched by former PTI leader Jahangir Tareen,” Mr Shah said.

Nisar Ahmad Khan in Mansehra also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2023