Lahore ATC sentences PTI's Yasmin and others, acquits Qureshi in another May 9 riots case 

Lahore (Web Desk): An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday awarded 10-year prison terms to four senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) including Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mahmood-ur-Rashid and Ejaz Chaudhry, while clearing former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi of all accusations in a case linked to the May 9 violence involving the burning of police vehicles.

The verdict was announced by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul inside Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore, where all the accused were already in custody.

The case pertains to incidents of arson targeting police vehicles in Mughalpura area of Lahore during the May 9, 2023 unrest and was originally registered against 22 individuals, among them Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid and Ejaz Chaudhry.

The court had earlier reserved its judgment after defence counsel completed their final arguments, while the prosecution had presented testimony from 37 witnesses before the proceedings moved into the final phase.

The ruling adds further legal pressure on the Imran Khan-founded PTI, which has already seen several of its leaders convicted in multiple cases linked to the May 9 events, while a number of others, including the party’s founder and former prime minister, remain in jail facing different charges.

It is pertinent to mention that Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema and Ejaz Chaudhry have previously been convicted in other cases arising from the same wave of unrest.

On May 9, 2023, riots broke out after the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a corruption case, triggering widespread demonstrations across the country.

During the unrest, protesters targeted key civil and military installations, including the Corps Commander House in Lahore and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

Following the violence, many PTI leaders and supporters were detained, some were later granted bail, while others continue to remain behind bars as legal proceedings related to the riots move forward in various courts.