LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Saturday sentenced several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders to 10 years in prison each in a case linked to the May 9, 2023 violence. However, the court acquitted former foreign minister and PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi due to insufficient evidence.
ATC Administrative Judge Manzar Ali Gill announced the verdict inside Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail. The court convicted 20 of the 22 accused after completing the trial. Meanwhile, two suspects had already been declared proclaimed offenders and did not face sentencing.
The court awarded 10-year prison terms to Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmoodur Rashid and Umar Sarfraz Cheema. Additionally, PTI activists Shah Deen, Khawar Hussain, Ahmad Zahid and Hafiz Syedur Rahman received the same punishment.
The case concerned the torching of police vehicles in Lahore’s Mughalpura area during the nationwide unrest that erupted after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan. Prosecutors alleged that the convicted leaders planned and encouraged the violent incidents.
During the trial, the prosecution presented testimony from 37 witnesses. Moreover, prosecutors argued that the evidence established the involvement of the convicted individuals in the attack on police property. The defence, however, rejected the allegations and maintained that the accused had been falsely implicated.
After reviewing the evidence and witness statements, the court ruled that the prosecution had proved its case against 20 defendants. In contrast, the judge acquitted Shah Mahmood Qureshi after finding that the prosecution failed to establish his involvement beyond reasonable doubt.
The latest verdict marks another major legal development in the series of May 9 violence cases, which continue to proceed in courts across Pakistan.
