Shah Mehmood Qureshi won’t defy Khan after release: Raja

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja has said that Shah Mahmood Qureshi will not act against Imran Khan’s directives after his release, adding that he will follow only the instructions given by the PTI founder.

On Tuesday morning, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore ordered the release of PTI leader and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in two cases related to May 9 events.

The court also issued a letter to the Superintendent Jail to release Shah Mehmood Qureshi, saying that the accused should be released if he is not wanted in any other case.

Speaking to the media near Adiala Jail, Salman Akram Raja said he could not comment on the specific role Shah Mehmood Qureshi will play after his release, but stressed that in PTI, only the founder’s orders are followed.

Imran Khan’s sisters freed

Later in the day, Raja gave another media statement, flanked by Imran Khan’s sisters Aleema Khan and Noreen Niazi, condemning the arrest of the founder’s family members.

اللہ تعالی کا شکر ہے عمران خان صاحب کی بہنیں بخیر ہیں۔ انکی غیر قانونی گرفتاری ختم ہو چکی ہے، حوصلہ اور عزم ہمیشہ کی طرح مضبوط۔ہم اب چکری انٹرچینج سے اسلام آباد کی جانب جا رہے ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/or3Aie8Z8l

— salman akram raja (@salmanAraja) August 12, 2025

“Thank God, Imran Khan’s sisters are fine. Their illegal arrest is over, and their courage and determination remain as strong as ever. We are now heading towards Islamabad from Chakri Interchange,” he announced on X.

He lamented the treatment meted out to Imran Khan’s family and legal team, saying that Tuesday is the designated day for meeting the PTI founder. However, he alleged that the “fascist” government had once again barred them from seeing their leader.

PTI protest on August 14

Raja also clarified that the party is not calling its August 14 programme a protest, but rather an occasion for supporters to join the country’s Independence Day celebrations.

“On Independence Day,” he said, “party workers will also reaffirm their commitment to Pakistan and to the PTI founder.”

میری مکمل بات پر غور کیجئے۔ https://t.co/Um7c59sVvk

— salman akram raja (@salmanAraja) August 12, 2025

Raja said that the prevailing system in Pakistan runs counter to democratic principles. “The current situation in Pakistan does not reflect the vision of Quaid-i-Azam.”

He alleged that the judiciary is not independent and that the political freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution are not being upheld.

The punishments being handed down, he claimed, are unjust, with verdicts often based on repetitive witness statements and evidence, frequently involving just two policemen.

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