20-8-2023 (ISLAMABAD) In an escalating crackdown on the former ruling party, Pakistani authorities arrested the vice-chairman of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Saturday. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who previously served as Khan’s foreign minister, was taken into custody in the capital city of Islamabad shortly after criticizing the government’s delay in holding elections during a press conference.
The arrest is part of a broader wave of detentions targeting PTI members and supporters, resulting in the erosion of Khan’s grassroots influence. Senior leaders and thousands of supporters have been rounded up by the authorities in recent months.
A spokesperson for PTI confirmed Qureshi’s arrest, stating that he was taken from his residence by Islamabad police. However, no further details regarding the arrest have been disclosed.
Imran Khan, a renowned former international cricket player turned politician, was himself imprisoned earlier this month following a conviction on corruption charges. This marked one of over 200 cases that Khan has faced since his removal as Prime Minister in an April 2022 no-confidence vote.
As a result of his three-year sentence, Khan is barred from participating in future elections. However, it is worth noting that in the past, several politicians, including outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his brother, former Premier Nawaz Sharif, have had their convictions overturned, allowing them to stage comebacks.
The fragile coalition government led by Sharif dissolved parliament earlier this month, and a caretaker government headed by relatively unknown politician Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has been sworn in to lead the country until the upcoming elections.
According to the constitution, elections are required to be held within 90 days. However, there have been persistent speculations that the government and military might seek to delay the elections as they grapple with multiple intertwined challenges, including security threats, economic instability, and political crises.
The recent publication of data from the national census, which took place earlier this month, has prompted the outgoing government to assert that the Election Commission needs time to redraw constituency boundaries, further fueling speculation about a potential delay in the electoral process.
