Qureshi, Umar, Swati among 83 arrested in 'Jail Bharo' drive released

• PTI leaders released on Lahore HIgh Court's order.
• PTI Secretary General Asad Umar says proud to go to jail. 
• Zulfi Bukhari, Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chauhan also released.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Secretary General Asad Umar, and former minister Azam Khan Swati were among the 83 party workers, who were released from jail on Saturday.

The party workers and leaders, who voluntarily allowed themselves to be arrested by police as part of the PTI's "Jail Bharo Tehreek" were freed on court orders.

On Friday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the authorities to release the leaders during the hearing of a petition filed by the party's Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry.

Speaking to the media after his release, Umar said he was proud to go to jail and demanded an end to the government's practice of 'making decisions' behind closed doors.

Meanwhile, Swati after being released from Raheem Yar Khan district jail, said that "political engineering should come to an end now". 

PTI's Zulfi Bukhari and Fayyaz-ul-Hasan Chauhan were allowed to walk free from Sargodha jail, while former Punjab governor Umar Sarfaraz Cheema, Azam Khan Niazi, Sadaqat Abbasi, Ejaz Khan, and others were also released by police.

The movement was announced by PTI Chairman Imran Khan after the government started arresting key PTI leaders.

The voluntary arrests' drive kicked off on February 22 to counter the "attack on constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights" and the "economic meltdown" by the incumbent government". 

The PTI's senior leaders, including Qureshi and Umar, along with party workers voluntarily surrendered themselves to the Lahore police on the first day of the campaign — and later, some of the others followed suit.

However, the movement was called last Wednesday, after the Supreme Court (SC) verdict in the election suo motu notice.

Khan welcomed the apex court's verdict in the election suo motu notice and announced the suspension of the “Jail Bharo Tehreek”, saying the party would move forward with election campaigns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab.