In a significant legal development, an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore has delivered verdicts in two more cases linked to the violent events of May 9 last year. The court handed down prison sentences to a total of 27 individuals, including prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, while acquitting 27 others.
Verdicts Delivered from Kot Lakhpat Jail
ATC Judge Arshad Javed announced the rulings on Saturday from Kot Lakhpat Jail, where the trial proceedings were conducted. The cases pertained to the burning of a police container and multiple police vehicles during the widespread protests that erupted on May 9, 2023, following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Container Burning Case: 20 Convicted
In the case concerning the burning of a container at Kalma Chowk, the court found 20 accused guilty. Each was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. Among those convicted are well-known PTI personalities: Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry, and Mahmood-ur-Rasheed. The case was registered under FIR No. 1078/23 at the Nasirabad police station.
Police Vehicles Burning Case: 7 Convicted
In a separate case related to the torching of police vehicles in the Gulberg area, the court convicted seven accused. This case was registered under FIR No. 1280/23. Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed, and Omar Sarfraz Cheema were also named among the convicted in this proceeding.
The prosecution presented a substantial body of evidence, bringing forward 78 witnesses across the two trials. In the Gulberg case, challans were submitted against 33 accused, with four declared proclaimed offenders. For the Kalma Chowk incident, challans were filed against 36 individuals, and twelve, including Hammad Azhar, Murad Saeed, Zubair Niazi, and Aslam Iqbal, were declared proclaimed offenders.
It is noteworthy that the challan against senior PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi has not been submitted in either of these two specific cases. With these latest judgments, verdicts have now been announced in seven out of the 14 cases registered in Lahore in connection with the May 9 incidents.
