PTI says Imran's cousin Qasim Zaman taken into custody after Rawalpindi DC orders detention under MPO

PTI says Imran's cousin Qasim Zaman taken into custody after Rawalpindi DC orders detention under MPO

ISLAMABAD: PTI founder Imran Khan’s cousin, Qasim Zaman, was taken into custody by the authorities when he went to the Adiala jail to meet the ex-prime minister on Tuesday, the party said after the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner (DC) ordered his detention under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance (MPO) for 30 days. PTI’s Awais Younas Chaudhry told Dawn that Zaman used to visit the Adiala jail to meeting Imran as the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had allowed the jailed ex-premier twice a week meetings — on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “On Tuesday he [Zaman] reached the Gorakhpur Naka near the prison at around 2:40pm and informed the jail authorities that he was there to meet Imran,” Chaudhry said, adding that, however, police detained him and shifted him to an unknown location. Later, Rawalpindi DC Nadeem Nasir’s order for Zaman’s detention under the MPO surfaced. The MPO allows the authorities to order detention and restrict judicial review of such orders. In his detention order, DC Nasir cited the ordinance, as well as letters by the police officials. The Sept 6 order, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said police informed the DC that Zaman was a political activist “who is instigating/ planning to organise unlawful assembly/ commit violence, deliver unlawful speeches to cause damage to human life and public/ private properties”. “He is also inciting the public to commit violence/ damage public /private properties and trying to stop the public functionaries from performing their duties in current situation, and him being at large is likely to disturb the public peace, safety and tranquility,” the order said, citing information shared by police. The ordered further stated that under these circumstances, the Rawalpindi City police officer recommended his detention “in order to prevent him from acting in a manner prejudicial to public safety and to ensure maintenance of public order u/s 3(1) MPO, 1960 for a period of 30 days”. The Rawalpindi District Intelligence Committee also endorsed the police’s stance during its meeting on Tuesday and “unanimously recommended that the above-named person be detained to prevent him from any unlawful activities”, the order said. In light of these developments, the Rawalpindi DC ordered Zaman’s detention under the MPO for 30 days. “His custody shall be placed under the supervision of the superintendent of Central Jail, Rawalpindi,” the order stated, adding that Zaman had the right to file an appeal to the Punjab Home Department against the directive. Previously, the authorities had also detained all three of Imran’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi — under the MPO ahead of the PTI’s protest march, which was earlier scheduled to set out for Islamabad on Sept 27. However, the march was postponed to Oct 4 and as per the current itinerary, the protesters aim to reach a Khairabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Oct 8, when KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi would share the future plan of action. Meanwhile, there have been reports of the arrests and detentions of several PTI members and workers, including provincial ministers and lawmakers. Usually, Imran’s sisters — Aleema Khan, Uzma Khan and Noreen Niazi — would be the ones to reach Adiala every week in the hopes to meet him. But Qasim was visiting the prison following their detentions. Imran has been in prison since 2023. The IHC has allowed Imran twice-a-week meetings — on Tuesdays and Thursdays — with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, the PTI founder has been restricted from meeting visitors. On Aug 18, the Supreme Court (SC) also directed the authorities to allow Imran meetings with his family as it ordered his medical checkup at Islamabad’s Shifa International Hospital, a private facility. After the SC’s interim order, one of Imran’s sisters, Noreen, was allowed two consecutive meetings with him. But there has been no other meetings since her last one on August 25. Advocate Awais said that other lawyers, including PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja, Khalid Yousuf and Riaz Shah, had also reached the Adiala jail today, but were not allowed to meet Imran. “It is nothing but contempt of the IHC order,” he said. Meanwhile, the Tehreek-i-Tahafuz-Ayin-i-Pakistan (TTAP) condemned Zaman’s detention, describing it as an act of “blatant fascism” and a violation of fundamental constitutional and human rights. In a statement, TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain Ahmad Yousafzai demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Zaman, saying that his arrest was an example of state coercion, political victimisation and violation of basic human rights. The spokesperson highlighted that Imran’s sisters had been detained earlier and now his “non-political cousin” had also been taken into custody outside the prison. “Targeting citizens merely because of their relationship with Imran Khan is an open violation of the Constitution and law,” the statement said. The opposition alliance urged the authorities to immediately stop what it termed the harassment and arrests of citizens through the use of state power. Yousafzai said the alliance would continue to oppose any actions that undermined citizens’ constitutional and human rights.