The Lahore Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) has issued a 126-page written verdict acquitting former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the May 9 riots case while convicting other Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders for their involvement in violent protests.
Court clears Qureshi of charges
ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul ruled that Shah Mehmood Qureshi could not be linked to the incident of a government vehicle being set on fire. His lawyer presented air tickets and medical records from a private hospital in Karachi, proving that Qureshi was in Karachi on May 9, 2023.
The court noted that the prosecution failed to present any witnesses against Qureshi, leading to his acquittal.
Other PTI leaders found guilty
The verdict, however, convicted several senior PTI leaders, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfaraz Cheema, Ejaz Chaudhry, and Mahmoodur Rasheed. The court noted that witnesses testified that the arrested leaders attended a meeting chaired by the PTI founder at Zaman Park on May 7, 2023, where targets were assigned ahead of the planned protests.
When the PTI founder was arrested in Islamabad on May 9, all four PTI leaders knew about the post-arrest plans and allegedly led party workers to sensitive installations, inciting violence through social media. The court observed that PTI workers treat the founder’s directives as “sacred", as all the accused, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid, made every effort to achieve the target.
Observations on May 9 violence
In its detailed remarks, the ATC stated that such incidents had never occurred in Pakistan since independence and emphasized that higher courts must establish a clear law to prevent similar events in the future.
The court also confirmed that the prosecution successfully proved its case against the other accused, noting that they were present at the scenes of violence.
Arrest warrant for Khadijah Shah
The verdict additionally issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for PTI supporter Khadijah Shah in connection with the May 9 case.
