LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Monday indicted 21 accused, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leaders Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr Yasmin Rashid, in a case related to May 9, 2023, riots.
The prominent leaders of the former ruling party and others were indicted by Lahore ATC Judge Arshad Javed while hearing a case related to alleged torching of a container at Kalma Chowk on May 9 violent protests at a makeshift court in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail.
Qureshi, who served as foreign minister during the PTI government, denied charges in the case.
Later, the court adjourned the hearing till February 17 after summoning prosecution witnesses.
The May 9 riots were triggered almost across the country after deposed prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest in the £190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders were put behind bars for their involvement in violence and attacks on military installations.
During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 “Black Day” and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.
Following the violent protests, scores of party leaders and workers were arrested and tried in military courts.
In December last year, the military court convicted 25 individuals and a few days later, handed down sentences to 60 people, including ex-premier Khan’s nephew Hassan Khan Niazi.
Later in January, the sentences of 19 convicts were pardoned after their mercy appeals were accepted by Courts of Appeal purely on humanitarian grounds, according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), stating that a total of 67 convicts had filed mercy petitions, of which 48 were processed.
However, the Imran Khan-founded party expressed dissatisfaction over the pardoning of only 19 convicts as PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan categorically opposed the civilians’ trial in military courts citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in this regard.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the military trials were initially halted after a top court’s ruling; however, the constitutional bench directed that the cases pending due to the earlier order be finalised and judgments in the cases of those accused found involved in these violent incidents be announced.
