LAHORE (MNN); An anti-terrorism court on Saturday sentenced senior PTI leaders Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudry, Omar Sarfraz Cheema and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed to 10 years’ imprisonment each in two additional cases linked to the May 9 riots.
PTI leaders’ counsel Rana Mudassar confirmed the verdicts, saying the cases pertained to the torching of police vehicles in Lahore’s Gulberg area and the burning of a container near Kalma Chowk during violent protests that erupted nationwide following the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan.
The unrest spread across the country and continued for at least 24 hours, during which protesters vandalised government property and military installations, and stormed the Lahore corps commander’s residence. In the aftermath, authorities launched a sweeping crackdown against PTI leaders and workers, registering multiple cases against the party’s leadership.
ATC-III Judge Arshad Javed conducted the hearings at Kot Lakhpat Jail. In total, 22 accused were awarded 10-year sentences, while five were acquitted in the Kalma Chowk case. In the Gulberg case, five accused, including the PTI leaders, were convicted, whereas 22 others were acquitted.
The court observed that former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had not yet been indicted in either case, and his trial would proceed separately after the submission of a supplementary challan.
The prosecution presented 78 witnesses in both cases. In the Gulberg case, a challan was submitted against 33 individuals, with four declared proclaimed offenders. In the Kalma Chowk case, 36 people were charged, while 12 others, including Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed, Zubair Niazi and Mian Aslam Iqbal, were declared absconders.
The prosecutor maintained that PTI leaders incited workers to violence and disorder. Speaking to the media, Rana Mudassar said the defence was not given a fair opportunity and announced that the verdicts would be challenged in the high court.
With these rulings, verdicts have now been announced in seven of the 14 May 9 cases registered in Lahore.
