RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who was arrested after the May 9 protests.
Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz presided over the hearing today. He inquired from the law officer if Qureshi had given any speech or led any protest.
The judge also directed the law officer to present evidence against Qureshi.
The former foreign minister was subsequently given a three-day deadline after being released from custody to submit an affidavit to the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner.
Within 24 hours of the start of the violent protests following the imprisonment of the former prime minister Imran Khan, Qureshi was one of the senior PTI leaders detained in Islamabad as the government tightened the noose around the party.
He was taken into custody in the early hours of May 11 after the police raided Gilgit-Baltistan House in Islamabad under Section 3 (3MPO).
Qureshi’s release had been ordered by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after he agreed to give an undertaking that he would not participate in violent protests.
However, he was re-arrested after being released from Adiala Jail.
Confirming his arrest, the PTI Twitter handle said Qureshi was arrested after he refused to leave the party.
“I am with the party, I will stay with the party,” the statement quoted him as saying.
