LAHORE: A day after the Lahore High Court (LHC) approved his bail in a money laundering case, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif was released from Kot Lakhpat Jail on Friday.

A large number of party leaders and workers including Hamza Shehbaz, Rana Sanaullah and Saad Rafique have gathered outside Kot Lakhpat Jail to welcome their leader.

Shehbaz Sharif's personal vehicles have also reached outside the prison. He was driven to his Model Town residence where PML-N leaders, including vice president Maryam Nawaz, arrived to greet him on his release from the prison after nearly seven months.

Earlier, PML-N Lahore Chief Organiser Chaudhry Muhammad Nawaz and Malik Saiful Malook Khokhar appeared in the court as guarantors while counsel for Shehbaz Sharif submitted the surety bonds of Rs5 million each following which Robkar was issued.

In a statement, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb on behalf of Shehbaz Sharif urged party workers not to come to Kot Lakhpat Jail for his welcome. Shehbaz said “I need your prayers which are more than a welcome. Please stay home as coronavirus spreading fast.”

A full bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) had, on Thursday (April 22), granted bail to the PML-N president in the assets beyond means and money laundering case.

The three-member bench was headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and also comprised of Justice Miss Aalia Neelum and Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi.

In the written short order, the full bench had stated that the bail of Shehbaz Sharif was approved due to the delay in the trial. The court also directed Shehbaz Sharif to submit two surety bonds of Rs5 million each in the trial court against which the bail was granted.