RAWALPINDI: Former federal minister for religious affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi was released from the Central Jail Adiala on Wednesday, two days after he was cleared of corruption charges by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The IHC on Monday cleared Mr Kazmi, former Haj director general Rao Shakeel and former point secretary Raja Aftabul Islam of all corruption charges in the Haj scam and ordered their release.

A corruption case was registered against the former minister on Nov 12, 2010, and he was arrested on March 15, 2011. Mr Kazmi was sentenced to 15 years in prison by a special court in June 2016, while former religious affairs additional secretary Aftab Ahmed was sentenced to 16 years in prison and Mr Shakeel was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Mr Kazmi was accused of corruption involving the leasing of residential buildings meant for Pakistani pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and causing a loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer.

An IHC judge cleared Mr Kazmi and annulled the verdict of the special judge central who convicted the former minister.

Mr Kazmi was released from Adiala jail at 3:15pm on Wednesday, after the prison authorities received his release order.

Speaking to the press after he was released, Mr Kazmi said he had no knowledge of current politics or access to information because he has been in prison.

“I would be in a better position to talk about my political future after observing the political developments happening outside in my absence,” he said, adding that it would take him a couple of days to announce his strategy for the future and then leaving for Multan.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2017