LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday indicted PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, along with other leaders and activists including fashion designer Khadija Shah in the Askari Tower attack case of May 9 riots.

ATC-I Judge Manzer Ali Gill conducted the hearing at Kot Lakhpat jail where the incarcerated leaders and workers of the PTI were presented for framing of the charges against them.

However, all the accused persons pleaded not guilty and the judge summoned prosecution witnesses for recording their statements on Jan 23.

Besides Mr Qureshi, those indicted among the incarcerated include PTI Punjab President Dr Yasmin Rashid, former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and former provincial minister Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed.

Those out of jail including former MNAs Aliya Hamza Malik and Rubina Jamil, social media activists Sanam Javed and Tayyaba Raja, and fashion designer Khadija Shah also attended the hearing and denied the charges against them.

They have already been indicted in multiple cases of May 9 riots.

The accused persons have been charged with offences, including inciting public against state and resorting to attacks on public and private properties, during the attack on Askari Tower.

Gulberg police registered the case of the attack.

Separately, the judge adjourned the trial proceedings of other cases, including Jinnah House attack and burning police vehicles in Mughalpura for Jan 27 and Jan 23 respectively, due to the unavailability of the prosecution team.

The judge was informed that the prosecutors concerned could not make it to the jail due to strict security arrangements.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2025