ISLAMABAD – Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi is expected to be released from Adiala jail today.
The development is expected after the top court granted him bail in the cipher case.
The legal team of the former foreign minister headed by Barrister Tamoor arrived at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where Special Court Judge Abul Hasanat Zulqarnain is also present.
The family members of PTI founder Imran Khan including his wife, Bushra Bibi, and sisters, as well as lawyer Amir Niazi and Rai Muhammad Ali, have also reached Adiala Jail.
Taking to X, Mehrbano Qureshi, the daughter of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, hoped release of her father from the jail today. However, she feared that he could be arrested in any other case.
She wrote, “Hopefully we will be able to get the release of @SMQureshiPTI today. I pray that after this he is not arrested in any other false case, which is definitely feared. Despite the fact that the courts are on vacation, the Cipher trial is going on in full swing,”.
اُمید ہے کہ آج ہم @SMQureshiPTI کی رہائی حاصل کر پائیں گے۔ میں دعا گوہ ہوں کہ اس کے بعد ان کو کسی اورجھوٹے مقدمے میں گرفتار نہ کیا جائے جس کا خدشہ زرور ہے ۔ باوجید اس کے کہ عدالتیں چھٹیوں پر ہیں سائفر ٹرائل زوروشور سے چل رہا ہے۔ https://t.co/kxw1KUC3no
— Meher Bano Qureshi (@MeherBanoQ) December 26, 2023
Barrister Taimur Malik said, “We have yet another ‘trial’ hearing for Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi at Adyala Jail today. Despite Court holidays these days, the speed with which this case is proceeding is beyond usual norms and procedure.
Meanwhile, we hope that we will also finally obtain SMQ’s release today pursuant to the Supreme Court’s bail order and that he won’t be re-arrested in any unknown or frivolous case.
As J Minallah wrote in his additional note “Moreover, their release on bail during the period of elections would ensure ‘genuine elections’ and thus enable the people to exercise the right to express their will effectively and meaningfully,”.
