The May 9 Verdict was announced by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Lahore on Friday, delivering long prison terms to several senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders while acquitting others, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Dr Yasmin Rashid, Mian Mahmood-ur-Rashid, Ijaz Chaudhry, and Omar Sarfaraz Cheema were sentenced to 10 years in prison in a case related to arson and encirclement during the May 9, 2023 unrest. The verdict was delivered by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gul at a makeshift court inside Kot Lakhpat Jail.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi, along with 12 other accused including Abdullah Badr, Mushtaq Ahmed, and Qasim Elahi, was acquitted in the GOR gate breaking case. During the trial, final statements of 21 accused, including Dr Yasmin Rashid, were recorded. The prosecution presented 56 witnesses, and the Race Course Police submitted the challan. Four accused were declared absconders during proceedings.
Muhammad Shahbaz was also among those sentenced to 10 years. In total, 13 accused were acquitted in this case, reflecting the court’s detailed review of evidence and charges.
Earlier May 9 Verdicts had also seen PTI leaders, including Dr Yasmin Rashid, Cheema, Chaudhry, and Mian Mehmood-ur-Rashid, sentenced to 10 years in separate cases. In the Jinnah House vehicle torching case, additional sentences included Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed receiving five years each, while Shah Mehmood Qureshi and six others were acquitted.
In the Shadman Police Station torching case, 12 out of 25 accused were acquitted, including Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Sohail Khan. Some suspects had been declared absconders earlier, and one accused died during the trial.
The unrest on May 9, 2023, followed the arrest of PTI founder Imran Khan at the Islamabad High Court in a graft case. Supporters stormed public and military installations, including the Corps Commander House in Lahore and GHQ in Rawalpindi, causing significant damage and casualties.
In other news read more about: KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, Four MPAs Declared Absconders
The May 9 Verdict marks another important development in these ongoing cases, highlighting accountability measures and the legal process following the violent events.
