LAHORE; An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Monday delivered its verdict in two high-profile cases arising from the violent incidents of May 9, 2023. The court acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, while sentencing several other prominent PTI figures, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmood-ul-Rasheed, former Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, and Senator Bawar Ijaz Chaudhry, to 10 years imprisonment each.
The cases stem from the widespread protests that erupted following the arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in May 2023, which escalated into violent clashes with law enforcement agencies. The violence included arson, vandalism, and the siege of police stations and commercial establishments. Two of the major cases involve the attack and torching of Shadman Police Station and Rahat Bakery — incidents that drew nationwide condemnation for their scale and intensity.
Judge Manzar Ali Gul, presiding over the cases from Kot Lakhpat Jail, announced the judgments. Along with the 10-year sentences for the senior leaders, two other PTI members, Aaliya Hamza and Sanam Javed, were handed five-year prison terms.
In the Shadman Police Station arson case, a total of 41 accused individuals have been challaned, while the Rahat Bakery case includes 25 accused, with the cases registered at Shadman and Sarwar Road police stations respectively.
The verdict marks a significant development in the legal aftermath of the May 9 unrest, which severely impacted law and order in Lahore and other parts of Pakistan. The acquittal of Shah Mahmood Qureshi, a key PTI figure, contrasts with the harsh sentences handed to other party leaders, highlighting the complexities of the cases linked to the protests.
Authorities maintain that the rulings aim to deliver justice for the violent attacks on state institutions and restore public confidence in the rule of law following one of the most tumultuous episodes in recent Pakistani political history.
