The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday acquitted PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi while sentencing Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry and others to 10 years in prison over a May 9 riots case related to violence on Sherpao Bridge.
Following the arrest of ex-premier Imran Khan on May 9, 2023, from the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) premises, riots erupted across the country and went on for at least 24 hours. Protesters vandalised and torched government buildings and military installations, while also breaking into the residence of the Lahore corps commander. The state subsequently launched a crackdown against him and his party, filing several other cases against Imran and party leaders since the events of May 9.
Sarwar Road police had registered a case against PTI leaders and workers on charges of ransacking and burning public property at Sherpao Bridge in the Cantonment area during the violent protests.
Advocate Burhan Moazzam Malik, the lead defence counsel, confirmed today’s sentencing to Dawn.com.
He said Yasmin, former provincial minister Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Senator Chaudhry and former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema were among those sentenced to 10 years in prison. The others were Khalid Qayyum, Riaz Hussain, Ali Hassan and Afzal Azeem Pahat.
Along with Qureshi, Malik said the others acquitted were Hamza Azeem, Aitzaz Rafiq, Rana Tanvir, Iftikhar Ahmad and Zayas Khan.
Addressing a press conference soon after the development emerged, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said there was now “an addition to the controversial cases of Pakistan’s judiciary” after today’s legal developments.
Noting Qureshi’s acquittal, he said Chaudhry, Dr Yasmin, Mian Mian Mehmoodur and Cheema were sentenced to 10 years “without fulfilling the requirements of the law”.
He criticised the jail trial proceedings and said it would not bode well for the country, causing public disillusionment in the courts.
Blasting the verdict, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said an “edifice of lies” was constructed and the matter no longer concerned just the party but the entire nation, saying that institutions and courts were being destroyed.
He called the verdict a “joke and attack on democracy”.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Law and Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik welcomed the development while speaking on Geo News. “These people were using delaying tactics,” he said.
Malik said due process and a fair trial process was followed and all evidence on record was considered by the judge, saying that the verdict was in line with the law and the Constitution.
The ATC had heard the concluding arguments of the prosecution and defence in the jail trial proceedings of the case a day ago.
Deputy Prosecutor General Abdul Jabbar Dogar had presented final arguments, saying the “May 9 conspiracy” was hatched on May 7 at Zaman Park. He said it had already been decided what actions were to be taken in case of the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan.
He alleged that on May 9, according to the plan, party leaders incited the workers. He said the witnesses to the conspiracy had recorded their statements before the court. He said these witnesses were present during the meeting of the PTI leaders held at Zaman Park, the residence of the former prime minister.
The prosecutor stated that 61 witnesses of the attacks and vandalism incidents had testified in the trial. Therefore, he said, in the light of the documents, evidence and the witness statements, the accused persons should be convicted.
