An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Saturday sentenced four Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders to 10 years in prison each for their involvement in the torching and damage of government vehicles in the Kot Lakhpat area during the May 9, 2023 unrest. The court also acquitted former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the same case, citing insufficient evidence.
Verdict Details
According to the judgment announced after the completion of proceedings and a reserved decision, PTI leaders Mian Mahmood-ur-Rasheed, Umar Sarfraz Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry, and Dr. Yasmin Rashid were handed 10-year prison terms each. The verdict was delivered by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul at Kot Lakhpat Jail, where the trial was conducted.
The case pertains to the May 9, 2023 unrest, following which multiple cases were registered across the country in connection with violence, arson, and attacks on state property. Trials in several of these cases are still ongoing in different courts.
PTI Rejects Verdict
The opposition PTI rejected the 10-year imprisonment sentences awarded to senior party leaders. PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram described the verdict as a “grave miscarriage of justice that stands in complete violation of the fundamental principles of fairness, due process and the rule of law.”
“These sentences represent a dark chapter of political vendetta and institutional partisanship. No direct evidence has been presented linking these respected leaders to the incidents of May 9, yet they continue to be systematically targeted,” he said in a statement.
Allegations of Political Persecution
Akram added that this was not justice, rather it was a calculated campaign of persecution designed to crush a “popular political movement” and its leadership. He expressed deep anguish over the manner in which the current ruling dispensation is blatantly misusing the judicial system to settle political scores and silence dissent.
“Such actions, driven by malice rather than merit, are not only eroding the public’s faith in the judiciary but are also pushing the country towards greater political instability and uncertainty,” he said.
PTI's Legal Response
Akram noted that PTI firmly stood shoulder to shoulder with its leaders and rejected these “unfair” verdicts in the strongest possible terms. The party will continue to pursue all legal and constitutional avenues to secure justice for its workers and leadership.
“PTI demands an immediate end to the vicious cycle of political revenge being perpetrated under the pretext of May 9 cases,” he said. All such matters must be adjudicated through transparent, fair and impartial proceedings in accordance with the law, free from any external pressure or influence.
The party appealed to the judiciary to rise above “all forms of coercion” and deliver judgments strictly in line with the Constitution and the law of the land.
