IHC orders release of PTI's Shah Mahmood Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: After being arrested in the federal capital following the May 9 riots, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi is set to go free after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered his release on Tuesday. 

The decision of the high court came after the PTI's senior leader submitted his undertaking affirming that he would abstain from creating agitation and inciting workers. 

Earlier, the high court had issued a directive for Qureshi to sign an undertaking, however, the former foreign minister expressed reluctance to give such an undertaking in clear words. 

As a consequence of the non-submission of the undertaking, the court did not issue a written decision for his release.

On May 18, the IHC quashed orders for Qureshi’s arrest and declared that he be released. However, the court had said that the PTI leader's release would be contingent on his submission of a written undertaking that he would not partake in violent protests and would refrain from inciting any kind of violence in the future.

Qureshi was among the top PTI leaders arrested from Islamabad within 24 hours of the outbreak of violent protests by PTI workers following former prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9 in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

The former foreign minister was arrested by the police in cases of riots and arsons in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said back then.

However, before his arrest, the PTI leader encouraged party workers to continue their struggle for "true freedom" in the country.

"As a foreign minister of Pakistan, I defended Pakistan's interests at every forum. I have been in practical politics for 40 years," he said.

Qureshi added that he has no regrets and has not made any provocative statements that could lead to lawsuits. He was confident that the PTI's movement will reach its destination.

Earlier, former state minister Ali Muhammad Khan had been directed to submit a similar undertaking.