LAHORE; Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi but sentenced several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, to 10 years in prison over separate cases linked to the violent riots of May 9, 2023.
The proceedings, held at Kot Lakhpat Jail and presided over by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill, pertained to the torching of police vehicles near Jinnah House as well as the burning of a Supreme Court judge’s car at Rahat Bakery Chowk. Both incidents were part of the widespread unrest that erupted after the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan from the Islamabad High Court on May 9 last year.
The court also sentenced PTI activist and fashion designer Khadija Shah to five years in prison, while acquitting Rubina Jameel and Afshan Tariq in the Rahat Bakery case. Advocate Rana Mudassar confirmed that a total of 51 accused were nominated in the Jinnah House case, with 12 declared absconders. The trial of the remaining 39 accused has now concluded.
The May 9 violence which saw protesters storming and setting ablaze public property, police vehicles, and military installations including the Lahore Corps Commander House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, triggered one of the largest crackdowns in Pakistan’s political history. Authorities registered dozens of cases against PTI leaders and workers, many of whom remain incarcerated, while others have been released on bail.
The ATC verdict adds to a growing series of convictions against PTI’s top leadership. Last month, a special ATC in Faisalabad handed 10-year jail sentences to several leaders including Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, and Zartaj Gul in connection with violence at the Civil Lines Police Station.
Shortly after, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) de-notified a number of convicted lawmakers, including opposition leaders in the Senate and National Assembly, further compounding PTI’s political and legal setbacks.
With Qureshi walking free once again and multiple senior leaders now facing long prison terms, the May 9 cases continue to reshape the party’s political future, even as its founder Imran Khan remains behind bars in a string of graft and terrorism-related trials.
