An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore has acquitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi in two cases related to the May 9 incidents. Meanwhile, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed, former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, and several others were sentenced to 10 years in prison. The verdict was announced on Monday by ATC Judge Manzar Ali Gill, who held the proceedings at a temporary court inside Kot Lakhpat Jail.
The court had reserved its decision last week after hearing the final arguments from both sides, stating that the judgment would be announced on August 11. In the case concerning the torching of Jinnah House, the court handed 10-year sentences to Rashid, Cheema, Chaudhry, Mian Mahmood ur Rasheed, Ayesha Ali Bhutta, Muhammad Fahim, Niaz Ahmed, Ali Hasan, Zain Ali, Asad Ali, Bilal Wajahat, Bilal Bashir, Muhammad Qasim, and Zain ul Hassan. Hafiz Muhammad Arshad was also given the same sentence, while Aliya Hamza and Sanam Javed were each sentenced to five years. Qureshi, along with Abrar, Amjad, Faisal, Jamil, Saadia, and Tasneem, was acquitted in the same case.
In the Shadman Police Station arson case, the court acquitted 12 of the 25 accused. Those acquitted included Qureshi, Sohail Khan, Muhammad Owais, Rafiuddin, Farid Khan, Salman Ahmed, Abdul Qadir, Faizan, Tayyab Sultan, Shahid Baig, Majid Ali, and Bakht. The court had previously declared several suspects as absconders in both cases. None of the accused who were out on bail, including Aliya and Sanam, were present in court when the verdict was announced. One suspect passed away during the course of the trial.
