LAHORE: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has dismissed the bail applications of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid in connection with the May 9, 2023 violence cases.
Presiding Judge Manzar Ali Gill observed that the bail pleas had become “infructuous” following the convictions in both cases. Dr. Yasmin Rashid had approached the ATC seeking bail in two separate cases registered at Shadman Police Station and concerning the Rahat Bakery siege and arson, both incidents tied to the May 9 unrest.
The court highlighted that Dr. Rashid had already been sentenced to 10 years in each of the two cases, rendering her bail requests ineffective.
The May 9 incidents in 2023, following political unrest in Pakistan, involved attacks on government properties, law enforcement personnel, and public infrastructure. Multiple PTI leaders, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid, have faced legal action in these cases, drawing widespread media attention and intensifying the political divide in the country.
Her convictions mark one of the more high-profile outcomes in the ongoing judicial proceedings related to the unrest, emphasizing the government’s stringent stance on accountability for political violence.
