Many leaders from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insa’s top tier were released from jails on Friday night by the police after the Lahore High Court (LHC) order. They had courted arrest under their Jail Bharo Tehreek, which was launched after many of their fellow leaders were arrested.

“I want to especially thank those workers who supported me when I was shifted to the Attock Jail,” PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi said while addressing the party supporters outside the jail.

Qureshi, Asad Umar, Zulfikar Bukhari, Azam Swati, and several party workers had presented themselves for arrest in the last week of February on the call of PTI chief Imran Khan. The LHC ordered the release of the PTI leaders on Friday after it was informed that they were being held in various jails across Punjab for 30 days.

The court arrest movement was called off on Wednesday by the PTI chairman after the Supreme Court ordered that provincial elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa be held within 90 days. Moreover, President Arif Alvi has announced his decision to conduct general elections for Punjab on April 30 after the Election Commission of Pakistan proposed dates.

Qureshi lauded the party workers for their “steadfast loyalty”, adding that there was no pressure on him. “I courted arrest after careful consideration for the protection of Constitution and the people who are bearing the brunt of inflation,” he said.

He was the first PTI leader to go behind bars after the call and he has now realised the pain from which the prisoners go. If PTI came to power, he said the party would bring reforms to resolve all such issues: better food, time for meeting with families, and basic rights not violated.

The PTI leader urged the people to give a huge mandate to the former ruling party in the next elections.

Asad Umar also lauded the party workers for supporting the party’s cause. But, he also took a dig at PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz while complaining about the jail administration’s apparent inability to provide a “frying pan to him for ironing clothes.”

Meanwhile, the PTI announced that Imran Khan would begin the election campaign today (Saturday).

Who was released from where?

• Shah Mahmood Qureshi from Attock jail
• Asad Umar from Rajanpur district jail
• Fayyazul Hassan Chohan and Zulfi Bukhari from Shahpur Jail
• At least 41 workers were released from Hafizabad
• At least 15 supporters were released from Lodhran
• Omar Sarfraz Cheema and 24 workers were released from Bhakkar district jail